Exclusive: Murillo frontrunner named in Chelsea and Liverpool race to agree Nottingham Forest deal
Chelsea currently hold the edge over Liverpool in their race to sign Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, sources have told Football Insider.
The 23-year-old is adamant that he does not see himself as a potential Championship player, and both Liverpool and the Blues are prepared to facilitate a move for him to help strengthen their defensive options.
Chelsea recently lost out to Arne Slot’s side over the signing of young Frenchman Jeremy Jacquet, and sources say that they are determined to avoid the same scenario playing out again over Murillo.
Nottingham Forest are currently in the middle of a tense relegation dogfight, with just three points separating them and the drop zone, and that has called Murillo’s future into serious scrutiny.
How much would Chelsea have to pay to sign Murillo?
Former Everton and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness told Football Insider back in December that Chelsea would need to splash out £50million to sign Murillo in the January transfer window.
The West Londoners have seen bids rejected by the Reds previously, but they failed to take their interest forward to the next stage in the winter, and are seemingly preferring to target a summer switch instead.
Murillo has become a key player for Forest since his move from Corinthians in 2023, and that has seen him attract interest from some of the Premier League’s elite clubs in recent months.
The East Midlands outfit have a reputation for not giving up their biggest talents without a fight, but they may even be forced to lower that £50m valuation if they suffer relegation at the end of the season.
However, if Vitor Pereira’s men were to escape a potential relegation, then they would have significantly more bargain power to ensure that Chelsea paid a premium to get hold of the Brazilian.
Forest to accept huge Morgan Gibbs-White offer
Football Insider revealed last week that Manchester City could land Morgan Gibbs-White with an offer of around £70m in the summer, as the attacking midfielder is once again linked with an exit from the City Ground.
The England hopeful is the Reds’ top scorer in the Premier League so far this season, but there is a growing feeling that he will finally take on a new challenge at the end of the campaign.
Tottenham and Manchester City have both shown an early interest in the 26-year-old, with Forest not expected to even entertain any bids below the £60m mark.
However, it is understood that £70m is seen as the sweet spot by the hierarchy, and that a bid that meets that valuation will be enough to get a deal done, regardless of which league they end up playing in next term.