Nottingham Forest may have pulled off the signing of the season with Igor Jesus, and his former manager Renato Paiva believes the striker is ready to prove it against Aston Villa. The 25-year-old forward, who joined Forest from Botafogo for just £10 million last summer, has already netted 15 goals—including seven in the Europa League, making him the competition's joint top scorer heading into Thursday's semi-final first leg at the City Ground.

Paiva, who coached Jesus at Botafogo, recalls the moment he learned of the deal. "Pedro Ferreira, Forest's head of recruitment, worked with me at Benfica. He asked about Igor, and I said, 'Wow, my friend, he's an incredible player.' When we discussed the price, I told him, 'My god, this is very, very cheap.'" Paiva believes Forest got a steal, especially considering the timing: the deal was struck before last year's Club World Cup, where Jesus scored in Botafogo's stunning upset over Paris Saint-Germain. "It was a mistake to sell a player before the competition," Paiva added. "Strategically, it's an error. After the tournament, you'd likely get better offers. But I understand sometimes business is about timing."

Describing Jesus as "a very complete player," Paiva highlighted his work ethic and tactical intelligence. "He's the number nine all coaches are searching for. He's the first to defend—you tell him to press, he presses; you tell him to close spaces, he closes spaces. He's clever and understands exactly what the coach wants." After a gradual adaptation to the Premier League, Jesus has scored five league goals, including two in his last two matches. Paiva sees this form as crucial for Forest's Europa League clash with Aston Villa. "It's taken a little time to adapt, but his numbers tell the story. The Europa League is less demanding than the Premier League, but against Villa, it's a different environment. It's a very difficult game for Nottingham Forest and for Igor. Villa are one of the top teams, but Igor has the quality to shine on this stage."