Murillo sends training ground update as Nottingham Forest agree sale to be completed imminently
Nottingham Forest are locked in a battle to keep hold of their best players as Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad returned for pre-season training.
Nuno‘s side are looking to build on their best top-flight season since the days of Brian Clough after they qualified for Europe for the first time in 29 years, and will play in the UEFA Conference League next term.
Forest occupied a Champions League place for much of the campaign before dropping to seventh late on, but Evangelos Marinakis still has a big summer planned despite missing out on a £70million windfall.
Botafogo trio Igor Jesus, Cuiabano and Jair Cunha are already through the doors of the City Ground this summer with further additions planned, but Forest are also braced for some big names to say goodbye.
Murillo going nowhere after City Ground return – ‘we’re back’
After a late-season slump in form saw the Reds drop from third to seventh in the Premier League table, Football Insider revealed fears that two of Forest’s key men may have to be sold to fulfil PSR demands.
Morgan Gibbs-White and Murillo were the players seen as most likely to leave Forest this summer, but it’s now increasingly likely that Anthony Elanga completes a £55million move to Newcastle instead.
The latest news on Tuesday is that Newcastle have agreed a £55m fee with Nottingham Forest for the Sweden winger. Sources have told Football Insider that the deal is expected to be completed this week.
Interest in Gibbs-White has cooled and Murillo also looks set to stay put this summer, as the Brazilian showed no signs of being unsettled by exit links when he returned to Wilford Lane for pre-season.
Posting on his Instagram story (7 June), Murillo shared Forest’s own post of the Brazilian arriving at training, alongside the message of: “We’re back”.
Forest fight to prevent repeat of Elanga transfer saga
Football Insider Verdict
Although the Reds seem consigned to losing Elanga this summer despite rejecting several initial bids from Newcastle, Forest have now taken steps to bolster Nuno’s squad with a new contract for Ola Aina.
Elanga’s move to St. James’ Park will bring in up to £55m that will certainly help Forest’s PSR position, and the fee will help Nuno to keep hold of talismanic figures like Gibbs-White and Murillo for next season.
Murillo proved to be just as important at the back last term as a steely defensive record sent Forest surging up the Premier League table, and there are few better candidates for Nuno to build his team around.