Nottingham Forest would now have to go considerably higher for Cruzeiro goalkeeper Otávio, with the Brazilian club setting a €25m (£21.6m) starting point for talks.
ESPN Brazil journalist Felipe Silva reports that Cruzeiro’s owners won’t even open negotiations for the 20-year-old below that figure. That’s particularly interesting given where Forest stood just a few months ago.
Back in June, reports in Brazil said Nottingham Forest were preparing a €13m (£11.2m) offer for Otávio. That move never developed, and Cruzeiro have since made sure they’re in a much stronger position.
As we covered earlier, the goalkeeper signed a new contract until 2031 and his release clause for foreign clubs is reportedly between €60m (£51.8m) and €100m (£86.4m).
More importantly for Forest, we now have a much clearer idea of what Cruzeiro would actually consider.
Cruzeiro want at least €25m
Silva says €25m (£21.6m) is the minimum figure required for Cruzeiro to sit down and negotiate. That’s almost twice the €13m (£11.2m) Forest were reportedly considering in the summer.
Otávio has done plenty since then to justify Cruzeiro pushing the price upwards. He continues to be one of the standout goalkeepers in the Brazilian league, even if the raw numbers don’t immediately jump off the page.
In his last 14 matches, Otávio has conceded 18 goals and kept one clean sheet. He is averaging 3.4 saves per game, with a 72.7% save percentage.
It’s fair to explain the context here. Cruzeiro’s defence has really struggled in recent months and the team’s form has dropped badly. They went from fighting around the top of the table to sitting sixth, and Otávio has often been the man stopping that slide from becoming even worse.
He’s produced some heroic performances along the way and has regularly kept Cruzeiro in matches when those in front of him haven’t offered much protection.
His rise has now gone another step further. Otávio has been called up to the senior Brazil squad at just 20 years old. It’s been a pretty meteoric journey for someone who only won Cruzeiro’s starting spot earlier this year. And that international recognition is hardly going to make him any cheaper.
Nottingham Forest picked him out early
There is at least something positive for Nottingham Forest in all of this. Their interest came before Otávio’s reputation really took off.
The Premier League club were already watching him during his breakthrough at Cruzeiro. He took his opportunity, kept the position and has since become one of the big performers in the Brazilian league.
Cruzeiro then reacted to the European interest by handing him improved terms and extending his contract until 2031.
Other European clubs have also made enquiries, according to Silva, so Forest won’t necessarily have a clear run at him if they decide to return. The difference now is the price.
A €13m (£11.2m) move may have looked possible when Forest first appeared. Cruzeiro are now starting the conversation at €25m (£21.6m), and Otávio’s rapid arrival in the Brazil squad will only help push his value further.
