Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo has dropped a hint on his future amid rumours he could leave the City Ground for Liverpool or Chelsea.
The 21-year-old joined Nottingham Forest for £11 million 12 months ago and played a key role in helping them avoid relegation last season.
It was rumoured that Forest could be forced into selling Murillo before they submitted their accounts to the Premier League last week to avoid another breach of the profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
However, they seem to have got on the right side of PSR by selling the likes of Orel Mangala and Moussa Niakhate.
The interest in Murillo hasn’t gone away though. He’s considered to be one of the best young defenders in the Premier League and reports suggest several sides are interested.
It has been claimed that Chelsea have already ‘made an approach’ for the Brazilian, while Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham are also keeping tabs on his situation.
He is under contract with Forest until 2028 and Nuno Espirito Santo’s side value him at over £60 million, although some suggest a deal could be done for less.
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Murillo drops verdict on Chelsea, Liverpool links
Murillo was asked in a recent interview about Chelsea’s reported ‘approach’ for him, and whether he’d be interested in a move away from Forest this summer.
“We don’t know anything for certain,” Murillo responded. “The window opened last month so I’m going to return to Nottingham Forest for pre-season.
“I know there was a buzz of interest. So, I don’t know exactly how much the [asking price] amount is, but I know there was interest.
“There might be some discussions on whether I’ll stay or not, so there’s a lot of things to happen still, but I’m relaxed.”
The defender seems open to a departure and seems aware that top clubs are interested, but he remains a vital cog in the Tricky Trees’ squad, making 32 Premier League appearances last term.
Santo will hope that his team can kick on in the coming campaign and Murillo remains a big part of his plans for the present and future.
Chelsea are looking to bring in a new centre-back as a long-term replacement for Thiago Silva, who left the club when his contract expired last week.
The Blues seem interested in swapping one Brazilian for another by bringing in Murillo so it will be interesting to see if they launch a concrete bid for him in the coming weeks, as reports suggest.
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Liverpool, on the other hand, need a new centre-back to replace Joel Matip, who’s departed the Merseyside club as a free agent.
Murillo certainly has the potential to become a top-quality defender but whether anyone is willing to pay £60m to bring him in, remains to be seen.