Nottingham Forest announced this morning that Portuguese forward Jota Silva has signed a four-year contract.
The Reds moved quickly on this one, completing a deal for a player connected with several clubs.
Silva has joined Forest from Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal, where he dominated the top level during the 2024/25 season.
Silva, who has been compared to Jack Grealish, had 15 goals and seven assists last season for his team, who qualified for the UEFA Conference League.
At Vitoria, he worked with Tiago Silva, a former Forest player, and after moving to Nottingham, the midfielder wrote an emotional note to his namesake.
Tiago Silva reacts after Nottingham Forest sign Jota Silva
Silva is celebrating his 25th birthday today, which also happens to be the day he joined with Forest.
The two players played together on 67 times and contributed four goals.
After leaving for the City Ground, Silva congratulated the Forest newcomer on Instagram, writing: “Congratulations, you are a model of hard work and resilience, which is why you are celebrating a double happy birthday today! “You deserve the world.”
That was added to Silva’s story, and the player also sent a note for Forest fans once his arrival was confirmed.
He stated, “It’s a joy to represent such a prestigious club. “Come on, reds!”
Cafu, who played for Forest during the 2021/22 promotion-winning campaign, also commented.
He supported the move, saying, “I know he’ll be in good hands, too.”
Jota Silva can be more popular than Tiago Silva at Forest
Tiago was an unknown quantity when he joined the club, but his deception quickly earned him a reputation among the supporters.
His most famous City Ground moment came behind closed doors, when he scored a fantastic free kick against Bristol City.
He was a wizard with the ball at his feet, and Jota Silva will now try to replicate him.
It’s intriguing that Tiago commended the Forest signing for his resilience, given that type of devotion will be required in the Premier League.
It appears that the 25-year-old is fairly straightforward in possession and enjoys taking shots at goal to help himself onto the scoreboard.
Naturally, considering that he comes from the Portuguese league, there will be a period of adjustment, but with the correct degree of support, Forest might have a new star named Silva on their roster.