Nottingham Forest signs Brazilian center back Jair Cunha from Botafogo

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest said on Friday it has signed Brazilian center back Jair Cunha from Botafogo.

Cunha is the second player from Botafogo to join the club after Brazil striker Igor Jesus, one of the stars of the ongoing Club World Cup, signed for Nottingham on Saturday.

The Premier League club said the 20-year-old defender was given a five-year contract. Financial details were not given.

Cunha and Jesus reached the round of 16 with Botafogo at the tournament in the United States. Cunha scored one goal, while Jesus cored twice for Botafogo, including the decider against Paris Saint-Germain.

Cunha joined Botafogo in February after making his first 24 senior appearances with another Brazilian club, Santos, for which he played since he was 10.

Forest will return to European football for the first time since 1996 after finishing seventh in the Premier League.

“Jair has flourished in Brazil and now has new ambitions as he moves to the Premier League," Forest’s chief football officer Ross Wilson said.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer