Chelsea could be set to try again for expensive Premier League star

Chelsea could reportedly try again for the potential transfer of Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo, who they have looked at in the past, only to decide he was too expensive.

The 22-year-old Brazilian is one of a number of names the Blues are continuing to keep an eye on and keep in mind as options on the market, according to a detailed report from Simon Phillips on Substack.

Murillo has certainly shown plenty of potential in his time in the Premier League, and it’s not surprising that Forest are perhaps facing a fight to keep hold of him, but it’s also absolutely fair that they’re keen to avoid losing him on the cheap if possible.

Chelsea have options in defence at the moment, but it also perhaps looks like an area of their squad that could do with further investment in the near future.

Murillo transfer: Can Chelsea bring the Forest star to Stamford Bridge?

Chelsea lost Thiago Silva at the end of his contract this summer, while Trevoh Chalobah joined Crystal Palace on loan, and it’s fair to say players like Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile haven’t been entirely convincing for the west London giants so far.

Chelsea might well view Murillo as an upgrade on those two, but it won’t be easy to get the deal done, and Phillips has suggested it looks like it’s a deal that’s been shelved for the time being, even if it might be one to watch in upcoming windows.

A recent report from HITC also discussed Murillo’s future, linking the impressive young centre-back as someone on Real Madrid’s radar, so it surely seems inevitable that he’ll at some point leave Forest to make the step up to the very highest level.

That piece also mentioned Liverpool, so that could be another possible rival to Chelsea in terms of trying to keep the South American star in the Premier League.