Barcelona rate Nottingham Forest defender Jair Cunha as Brazil status grows

Nottingham Forest defender Jair Cunha is reportedly highly regarded by Barcelona's sporting department after an impressive rise that has also strengthened his position with Brazil.

The 21-year-old has quickly enhanced his reputation since arriving at the City Ground from Botafogo last year, establishing himself at Forest before earning his first senior Brazil call-up under Carlo Ancelotti.

Barcelona were already aware of Jair, but a report in Spain now indicates the centre-back continues to make a strong impression on the Catalan club's recruitment staff.

There is no suggestion at this stage that Barcelona are preparing an offer or have opened negotiations with Nottingham Forest.

Spanish newspaper Sport discusses Jair while reporting on Barcelona's interest in another young Brazilian centre-back, Athletico Paranaense's Arthur Dias.

The report says Jair is another defender whose development has caught the attention of those responsible for recruitment at Barcelona.

“Another young player who also emerged stronger is 21-year-old centre-back Jair Cunha, who has started his second season at Nottingham Forest and is also highly valued by the Barcelona sporting management,” Sport reports.

That represents an endorsement of Jair's progress rather than evidence of an impending transfer.

Nevertheless, his presence on Barcelona's radar is notable given how rapidly the defender has progressed since leaving Brazilian football for the Premier League.

Jair's growing reputation is not limited to club football.

Sport also reports that the Nottingham Forest defender has emerged from the latest international period as Ancelotti's third-choice centre-back for Brazil.

That would place the 21-year-old behind Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos and Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhães in the current hierarchy.

It marks significant progress for Jair after only recently joining the senior national-team environment.

When first called into the Brazil squad, he specifically identified Marquinhos and Gabriel as two players he wanted to learn from.

“I’m a big fan of them,” Jair said. “I hope I can learn as much as possible.”

His reported position immediately behind those two defenders provides another indication of how highly his recent development is being regarded.

For Nottingham Forest, the distinction between admiration and active transfer interest remains important.

The supplied reporting does not claim Barcelona have contacted Forest, approached Jair or begun preparations for a transfer.

Instead, the Spanish club's sporting department is said to rate the defender highly as it monitors emerging Brazilian centre-backs.

That situation could become more significant if Jair continues establishing himself in the Premier League and Brazil squad.

For now, however, Barcelona's interest remains at the monitoring and appreciation stage rather than developing into a concrete pursuit.

Nottingham Forest have no reported approach from Barcelona to deal with at this stage. Jair's development will nevertheless be worth watching closely: establishing himself further in the Premier League and Brazil squad would only increase the attention surrounding one of Forest's emerging young defenders.