Bruno Guimaraes reacts to message from Nottingham Forest ace Murillo amid exit news
Bruno Guimaraes has reacted to a message from Nottingham Forest defender Murillo as both players are linked with summer transfers.
Murillo has been a mainstay in Nuno Espirito Santo’s side this year, proving himself worth the £15million [BBC Sport] fee the Tricky Trees paid in 2023.
Despite being relatively unknown and untested at the time, having made only 27 senior appearances, the Brazilian has forged a dominant partnership alongside Nikola Milenkovic in the heart of Forest’s defence.
The pair have been crucial in Forest’s challenge for Champions League qualification, and the former Corinthians man has become a firm fan-favourite at the City Ground.
However, good performances come with consequences, and Chelsea are still interested in signing Murillo, despite having a January bid rejected, Pete O’Rourke told Football Insider exclusively.
Murillo and Bruno Guimaraes prepare for crucial Brazil match
Murillo is currently on international duty with Brazil and they passed their first test with flying colours, beating Colombia 2-1 in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualification match.
Following the win, the Nottingham Forest defender posted a series of images of himself on Instagram, captioned: “Proud to wear this shirt.”
The post was liked by Newcastle midfielder, Guimaraes who currently has heavy interest from Arsenal himself, Pete O’Rourke told Football Insider exclusively.
Brazil’s next match will be against historic rivals Argentina, in Buenos Aires, on Wednesday (26 March) and the Murillo will be hoping to see some action, having been left on the bench against Colombia.
Nottingham Forest’s smart investments pay dividends
Football Insider Verdict
If you’re a Premier League side, looking to take a step-up and you have some money to spend, look no further than Nottingham Forest for some inspiration.
The Tricky Trees took a risk, signing Ola Aina, Chris Wood, Neco Williams, Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi, all of whom were available for cheap transfers, with their selling club keen to get rid.
They then took chances on the then-unknown Murillo and the talented Morgan Gibbs-White and without realising it, Forest had built a side set to finish third in the Premier League.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Murillo |
| Appearances | 28 |
| Starts | 28 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Yellow cards | 5 |
| Minutes | 2,480 |
Obviously, it’s a little simplistic when you put it like that, but even manager Espirito Santo wasn’t exactly the cream of the crop, having been sacked by Tottenham after an underwhelming spell.
What Forest have shown, is that mentality matters most, they have signed players with something to prove, putting a manager with a damaged reputation in charge and the results have been astonishing.