Nottingham Forest and Brentford are now firmly in the picture for Gabriel Mec, with the Grêmio teenager’s situation accelerating as the Brazilian club prepare for a likely sale.

The 17-year-old has recently started to gain more consistent minutes at senior level. Just recently he featured against Juventude, in the state championship, and then earned a league start against Atlético Mineiro.

He is yet to register a goal or an assist this year, but he is considered a ‘game-changing player’ due to his tenacity and directness on the pitch. That will have caught Nottingham Forest and Brentford attention.

Of course his performances have fluctuated, which is expected at this stage of development. Still, the increased exposure has strengthened his profile ahead of a crucial few months.

Grêmio’s plan has been clear. They want to build Mec’s value through first-team involvement before making a major sale. That process now appears to be reaching a decisive phase.

Previous interest sets the baseline

Earlier in the season, Grêmio accepted an offer from Shakhtar Donetsk worth around €15m (£12.9m). The structure included €13m (£11.2m) fixed and €2m (£1.7m) in bonuses.

The move collapsed after Gabriel Mec chose not to proceed. At the time,...