Nottingham Forest and Chelsea vie for the signing of Jonathan Jesus

Cruzeiro center-back Jonathan Jesus has firmly entered the radar of European football with interest from English clubs such as Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. The board of the Minas Gerais club is adopting a firm stance and demanding a high sum to negotiate the defender's economic rights.

Nottingham Forest's interest

Nottingham Forest is evaluating a strategy to take the defender to Europe initially on loan to Olympiacos. The idea would be to use the Greek team as the first stage of Jonathan Jesus's adaptation to European football, allowing the English club to monitor the player's development before an eventual transfer. Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos belong to the same business group, and the center-back is said to be excited about the opportunity.

Chelsea's development strategy

Chelsea also remains focused on the Brazilian market and is monitoring the center-back, seeking young talents to integrate into its squad. The plan of the BlueCo group, which manages both Chelsea and Strasbourg, involves an initial adaptation period in France, where Jonathan Jesus would be sent to gain experience before receiving a definitive opportunity at Stamford Bridge in England.

Other interested clubs

Interest in the center-back is not restricted to Nottingham Forest and Chelsea, as Tottenham is also monitoring the player's situation. Cruzeiro's board has already rejected previous approaches, including an official proposal made by Real Sociedad, whose executives traveled to Belo Horizonte without success. Benfica and Zenit have also previously shown interest in the athlete, but the offers were not sufficient.

Cruzeiro's financial demand

The board of the Minas Gerais club is aware of the player's potential for appreciation in the transfer market and has established a high asking price to negotiate his economic rights. Cruzeiro is working with the expectation of receiving more than 20 million euros to agree to discuss the definitive departure of the defender. Real Sociedad's proposal had hovered around 80 million reais, an amount considered insufficient by the club from Minas Gerais given the demand stipulated internally.

With information from Terra, LANCE!, www.jornalcruzeiro.com.br.