John Victor’s departure from Botafogo to Nottingham Forest still hasn’t been officially announced by the club, but John Textor has already said goodbye, as revealed by Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte.
On Sunday, the American businessman and head of Botafogo took to social media to post a photo from Nottingham’s City Ground and confirmed the goalkeeper’s next destination.
In a message that reads like both farewell and tribute, Textor celebrated the player’s journey and his next chapter in England.
“Very proud of this great man,” he wrote. “He helped us win the Brazilian Championship, the South American Championship [Libertadores], and even a victory over PSG in the Club World Cup. Now, he gets to live a dream and play in the greatest league in the world, for Nottingham Forest, in the Premier League.”
The move brings an end to a month-long saga that saw John nearly join West Ham earlier in August. That deal collapsed at the final stage, despite Botafogo having already signed Neto in anticipation of his exit.
John was left out of the squad for the Copa do Brasil match against Bragantino, and manager Davide Ancelotti publicly stated they had said their goodbyes. Just days later, however, the goalkeeper went on record to say he had decided to stay.
“The club is my home, my choice, and the right decision for the dreams and achievements we can still fight for together,” he posted at the time.
But less than a month later, the story flipped again. West Ham returned to the table, but this time Nottingham Forest – part of Evangelos Marinakis’s multi-club network, which maintains close ties with Textor’s Eagle Football group – emerged with a better offer and secured the player’s signature.
Now, with Forest, he finally gets the Premier League move he always wanted. Just not the one he (almost) signed first.
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