Nottingham Forest rising star surely destined for huge fee after career-first achieved
Nottingham Forest centre-back Jair Cunha is sure to be a player to keep a very close eye on in the coming years.
The 21-year-old is still in the early stages of his development at the City Ground, having moved to England in a £10million deal from Botafogo last summer.
The defender had to bide his time to get opportunities last season, but has played every single minute of the Reds' four competitive outings so far this term.
Oliver Glasner has opted to use the youngster while new signing Ousmane Diomande finds his feet in the Premier League, but Cunha is now well-placed to keep his place long-term.
The youngster impressed again in the goalless draw with Tottenham last weekend, and was rewarded this week with a first-ever Brazil call-up at senior level.
Cunha is emerging as a crucial player for Forest at the moment, and his development is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
Jair Cunha is Nottingham Forest's best defender right now
Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic have been staples of the Forest defence in recent years, but both are struggling to find their top level at the moment.
The former is battling ongoing fitness and injury issues, while the latter is having difficult residcovering the form that has made him such a fearsome proposition previously.
However, Cunha has used their respective struggles to craft an opportunity for himself, and it is one that he has certainly taken of late.
The youngster's duel success rate of over 58 per cent is the highest of any of Forest's centre-backs right now, while he is also chipping in with over nine defensive contributions every game.
If he continues on his current trajectory, it is hard to see a way that Forest won't net an eye-watering fee for him later down the line.
Cunha's call-up to the Brazilian national team will also only serve to enhance a reputation that is growing with every passing game of late.
Nottingham Forest face Daniel Munoz 'decline'
Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson recently told Football Insider that Forest won't be concerned about suggestions of new signing Daniel Munoz being on the "decline."
The Reds signed the right wing-back from Crystal Palace in a £22m deal, with the Eagles hinting that their data suggests that his best years may be behind him.
However, Borson is adamant that the transfer is extremely low-risk for Forest, and expects them to be able to get at least two good seasons out of the Colombian.
The football finance expert made it clear that the 30-year-old has no resale value at this stage of his career, but he does not expect that to bother Forest at all.