Chelsea aiming to take control of transfer race for Nottingham Forest defender Murillo

[p]The 23-year-old has caught the eye since joining [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Nottingham Forest[/a] from Corinthians in 2023, establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s most promising centre-backs.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/murillo/40Vyq1xR/"]Murillo[/a]’s physical presence and pace is complemented by strong tactical awareness and an ability to play out from the back - attributes that have made him a standout performer and a natural fit for top-level sides.[/p][p][b]His proven Premier League pedigree is a key factor behind growing interest from England’s elite, with all three clubs monitoring his situation closely.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Man United[/a] have tracked Murillo for some time, although they have yet to make a firm internal decision on recruiting a centre-back this summer. Midfield is also a priority area for the club, and they are admirers of his Forest teammate Elliot Anderson.[/p][embed guid="675cd68b-432c-4803-9725-e05d686f49b7" url="https://x.com/NFFC/status/1881780050321657882" social-type="twitter" /][p]Murillo, 23, signed an improved four-year contract last year, tying him to Forest until 2029, but sources suggest a fee in the region of £60-70 million could be enough to test the club’s resolve.[/p][p]That valuation is unlikely to deter [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a], both of whom are actively targeting reinforcements in central defence. [/p][p][b]Chelsea, in particular, are determined to strengthen their back line as they are set to undergo an overhaul. [/b][/p][p]They have tracked Murillo extensively this season, with indications now suggesting they are very likely to formalise their interest at the end of the season. [/p][p]Liverpool have also carried out significant groundwork over the past 12 months as they assess defensive options ahead of the next campaign.[/p][p]With top clubs circling and the player open to a move, this is shaping up to be one of the Premier League’s more compelling transfer battles of the summer.[/p][image alt="Dean Jones" id="0f685dd0-10a2-43d8-9966-361f00f7203c" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="ce059f73-98ce-497f-84dc-b1694c0732c4" original-width="1200" original-height="380" /]