According to sources, Nottingham Forest passed on what would have been a record sum for one of their players; therefore, Chelsea’s January attempt to recruit defender Murillo was unsuccessful. Nuno Espirito Santo’s surprise successful season has been led by Brazilian center-back Murillo. Nuno’s team boasts the third-best defensive record in the league, and his connection with Nikola Milenkovic at the back has helped them move up to third place.
When the 22-year-old joined Forest from Corinthians in 2023, it cost over £10 million. This season, he earned senior international status for the first time. In November, Murillo was included in Dorival Junior’s squad for two World Cup qualifying matches against Uruguay and Venezuela, but he was unable to replace Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos or Gabriel of Arsenal. The arrival of interest in January was perhaps not surprising. The defender has been linked to both Liverpool and Chelsea, but it was Chelsea that put Forest’s resolve to the test, but in vain.
Chelsea failed with record January bid
According to The Telegraph, Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Nottingham Forest, “refused to consider what would have been a record sale” when Chelsea was reportedly interested in acquiring Murillo in early January. Chelsea reportedly wanted to pay more than Tottenham Hotspur’s €55 million for Brennan Johnson in 2023, but Forest was keen to cling onto the Brazilian as they aimed to qualify for the Champions League.
Murillo recently signed a new deal with Forest that will keep him there until 2029, and he has started 23 of the team’s 24 league games this season. With the announcement of his new contract at the City Ground, Murillo’s ETV has soared to a record high of €65.7 million.
With 14 games left, Forest is one spot and four points ahead of Chelsea in the Premier League standings after both teams won their most recent round of games. Nuno’s team easily defeated Brighton 7-0 on Saturday lunchtime, while Chelsea, led by Enzo Maresca, overcame West Ham on Monday night.
