Nottingham Forest received a pleasant surprise before the beginning of their 2025/26 season, as it turns out that they will be playing in the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League instead of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side achieved a seventh-place finish at the end of the 2024/25 Premier League, which allowed them to qualify for the third-tier European competition.
However, Crystal Palace, who won the 2024/25 FA Cup and qualified for the Europa League, have now been demoted to the Conference League because of a UEFA ruling that they and Olympique Lyon cannot both play in the Europa League due to a dual-ownership issue involving John Textor.
It now allows Forest to play in the Europa League instead, which means the signing of Igor Jesus can prove to be even more vital for Santo’s side.
How Much Did Nottingham Forest Pay For Igor Jesus?
Nottingham Forest were able to seal the signing of Igor Jesus after the Brazilian striker’s involvement at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with Botafogo, who even defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the group stages!
The Premier League side have reportedly paid a relatively low £10 million fee for the signing of the 24-year-old striker, adding much more firepower to their frontline ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Jesus was acquired by Forest because of his admirable work for Botafogo in the Brazilian football scene, and then in competitions like the Copa Libertadores and FIFA Club World Cup too.
The Brazil international forward was delighted to join Nottingham Forest, as he voiced his gratitude after joining them and claimed:
“I’m really happy to be part of this new story, especially at a club like Nottingham Forest. I didn’t have to think twice about the offer. I embraced the project they sent me and I am delighted to be coming here and hope to do some great work.”
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How Can Igor Jesus Be A Special Weapon For Nottingham Forest?
Igor Jesus is coming off a pretty prolific 2024/25 season where he played 29 matches in faetured in eight different competitions for Botafogo.
He scored nine goals across 29 appearances for his side, scoring more goals than every Nottingham Forest player, barring top-scorer Chris Wood.
What really helped Jesus really catch the Premier League side’s attention was his performances in continental competitions, as he scored two goals in five Copa Libertadores games and twice in the Club World Cup as well.
The 24-year-old scored against PSG in the group stages and remains the only player to have scored against the European champions during PSG’s route to the Club World Cup final.
Hence, the Brazilian striker brings the experience of being able to score in continental competitions, which is why he could impress in the UEFA Europa League as well.
Igor Jesus has proven himself as a hard-working, unpredictable striker who loves to get involved by often dropping deep to help his side unlock opposition defensive lines.
Jesus averaged 3.44 shot attempts, 5.22 touches in the opposition penalty box and 2.10 progressive passes per 90 minutes in the 2024/25 season for Botafogo.
In comparison, Forest’s top scorer, Chris Wood, averaged 1.98 shot attempts and 3.19 touches in the opposition penalty box per 90 minutes.
The recently departed Anthony Elanga averaged 1.58 shot attempts and 3.96 touches in the attacking box per 90 minutes for Nottingham Forest last season.
This shows how the Brazilian forward can constantly threaten opposition defenders with his shooting ability and tendency to get to the end of more chances inside the box.
Jesus can also play as a winger if necessary, adding more depth to Nottingham Forest’s attacking line and can also operate in a two-man forward line with Chris Wood.
The combination of two clinical goal scorers like Wood and Jesus can help Nuno Espirito Santo’s side take opposition defenders by surprise and enhance their efficiency in both the Premier League and UEFA Europa League!
Main Photo
Credit:IMAGO / Nicolo Campo
Recording Date: 28.06.2025