United News of Bangladesh

Premier League side Nottingham Forest on Friday announced the signing of Brazilian centre-back Jair Cunha from Botafogo. Cunha becomes the second Botafogo player to join Forest this week, following striker Igor Jesus, who signed with the club on Saturday after impressing in the ongoing Club World Cup. The 20-year-old defender has signed a five-year contract with Forest, though financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Tottenham signs Ghana’s Kudus from West Ham, eyes Forest’s Gibbs-White Both Cunha and Jesus helped Botafogo reach the round of 16 at the tournament in the United States. Cunha netted one goal, while Jesus scored twice, including the decisive strike against Paris Saint-Germain. Cunha began his senior career at Santos, where he had played since the age of 10, making 24 appearances before joining Botafogo in February. “Jair has flourished in Brazil and now has new ambitions as he moves to the Premier League," said Ross Wilson, Nottingham Forest’s Chief Football Officer. Nottingham Forest is set to return to European competition for the first time since 1996, having secured a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season.

Nottingham Forest’s hopes of securing a Champions League spot took a blow on Monday after a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the Premier League. Despite spending much of the season in the league’s top three, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side has managed just one win in its last four matches. That poor run of form has seen them slip behind rivals Chelsea, Newcastle, and a resurgent Manchester City in the standings. Bangladesh team fly for India on Tuesday to take part in SAFF U-19s A victory over Palace would have brought Forest level on points with Chelsea and Newcastle, but settling for a draw leaves them in sixth place — just outside the top five, which secures qualification for next season’s Champions League. The game itself was scrappy at times, with eight players booked in a match that lacked rhythm and clear control from either side. Crystal Palace broke the deadlock just past the hour mark. After a VAR review, goalkeeper Matz Sels was ruled to have brought down Tyrick Mitchell in the box, and Eberechi Eze calmly converted the resulting penalty. Forest responded swiftly, equalizing within four minutes when Murillo managed to deflect Neco Williams’ shot past the Palace keeper. Palace came close to reclaiming the lead late on, with Eze striking the post in the final moments and Eddie Nketiah seeing a stoppage-time goal ruled out for offside. The result extends Palace’s winless run in the league to five matches. “We were a bit unlucky at times — hitting the post, the offside decision — but the players showed great spirit,” said Palace head coach Oliver Glasner. “Creating so many chances against a side like Forest isn’t easy, so I’m really happy with how we played.”