Chelsea are reportedly leading the race ahead of Manchester United and Liverpool to sign Nottingham Forest star Murillo, as per Caught Offside.
Since moving to the City Ground from Brazilian side Corinthians, the 23-year-old has showcased his qualities in the Premier League.
After helping his side survive relegation in his debut campaign, the Brazilian guided the Tricky Trees to secure Europa League football last season.
Although Forest have displayed poor performances this season, languishing in the relegation scrap, he has showcased his qualities, netting a solitary goal and keeping five clean sheets in 25 appearances across all competitions.
Now, Caught Offside claim that Murillo is ready to leave Forest to take the next step in his career, but the Reds aren’t in any rush to sell him, with his existing deal set to run until 2029.
Forest consider the South American as one of the pillars of their long-term project and have no intention of parting ways with him. They have slapped a whopping £70m price tag on his head to keep the vultures away.
However, Chelsea are keen on strengthening the centre-back position by purchasing Murillo and have been monitoring his development extensively before making a potential swoop.
Battle
Apart from the Blues, Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in him. Furthermore, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have expressed their interest in him. Liverpool were even keen on signing the Brazilian in the last transfer window.
Saudi Arabian clubs have also been keeping a close eye on him, but the player’s preference is to stay in England, with Chelsea currently leading the race to secure his services.
Murillo is a left-footed versatile player as he is comfortable playing in the centre-back and left-back positions. He is quick, strong, good in the air, comfortable playing out from the back, and efficient in defensive contributions.
With Forest currently only three points above the relegation zone, they might be forced to sell Murillo in a cut-price deal if they eventually fail to secure their top-flight status.
It is going to be interesting to see whether the West London club eventually manage to sign Murillo by defeating other clubs in this race this summer.
