Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is personally driving a move for Murillo, with Nottingham Forest’s stance on sanctioning a departure now being revealed.
The Blues have been solid from a defensive point of view in recent weeks, keeping clean sheets in their last three Premier League matches, most recently defeating Burnley 2-0 at Turf moor, with Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah impressing at the heart of defence.
Adarabioyo particularly caught the eye, receiving a SofaScore match rating of 8.6, the highest of any player, courtesy of making six tackles, winning ten of the 12 duels he contested, while also completing a whopping 102 passes, including seven long balls.
Being assured in possession of the ball is an important attribute for any player in a Maresca system, and the manager is now keen on another centre-back who could be an ideal fit in the Italian’s backline…
Maresca now driving Chelsea move for Murillo
According to a report from Caught Offside, Maresca has now personally identified Nottingham Forest defender Murillo as a key defensive target, but it could take a huge offer to get a deal over the line, with the Tricky Trees looking to hold out for up to €90m (£79m).
Forest are hesitant to cash-in on one of their key players, but they could be tempted to sanction a departure if a huge offer is submitted, with some other huge clubs also showing an interest in the centre-back, namely Barcelona and Arsenal.
The Chelsea manager is said to be a fan of ball-playing defenders capable of creating chances from deep, which means the Brazilian could be the perfect fit in his backline, and he recently put in a fantastic display as Forest secured a shock 3-0 win at Anfield.
Liverpool’s struggles continued on Saturday, with Arne Slot’s side falling to a shock defeat against a side that had made a slow start to the season, and Murillo displayed his attacking prowess by opening the scoring just after the half-an-hour mark.
It was a solid all-round performance from the one-time Brazil international, winning five of the six duels he contested, creating one big chance, and making 19 defensive actions, the highest number of any player.
It wasn’t the first time the 23-year-old has put in a top performance against the Reds, receiving high praise after impressing against Slot’s men earlier this year.
As such, Chelsea should undoubtedly pursue a move for Murillo, and it is promising news that Nottingham Forest could now be willing to sanction a departure for the right price.
Chelsea now readying hijack to sign Gabriel and Saliba 'hybrid' Chelsea now readying hijack to sign £44m 'Gabriel & Saliba hybrid'
The impressive international could be Chelsea’s answer to William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.
ByJack Salveson Holmes