MX23RW : Sunday, November 24 04:18:50| >> :120:21992:21992:

Chelsea-linked defender 'wouldn't discard' joining three other Premier League clubs

Chelsea transfer blow? £70m defender open to joining three other PL clubs
© Reuters
Chelsea-linked defender Murillo confirms that he is aware of interest in his services from the Blues, but has also revealed that he is open to joining three other Premier League clubs.

Chelsea-linked defender Murillo has confirmed that he is aware of interest in his services from the Blues, but has also revealed that he is open to joining three other Premier League teams.

Murillo currently plies his trade at Nottingham Forest who signed the 21-year-old for around £15m from Corinthians last summer.

The left-footed centre-back has since taken to the City Ground by storm and was named Forest's Player of the Season after playing an integral role in helping the club avoid relegation from the Premier League in 2023-24, making 32 league appearances.

Murillo still has four years remaining on his contract, but the defender's impressive performances are understood to have caught the eye of a number of top European clubs, including Chelsea and Juventus.

A recent report claimed that Chelsea are making an attempt to convince Forest to cash in on Murillo this summer, but the Tricky Trees are said to want a fee in the region of £70m to part ways with the youngster.

Nottingham Forest defender Murillo in March 2024.© Reuters

Murillo confirms Chelsea interest

Juventus are the latest club who are believed to have asked Forest about the 'conditions' to sign Murillo, who has been identified as a potential alternative to Bologna's in-demand defender Riccardo Calafiori.

Murillo has now addressed the speculation surrounding his future, confirming that he is the subject of 'interest' from Chelsea as well as suggesting that he could use Forest as a stepping stone to join a bigger club.

Speaking on the Benja Me Mucho podcast, as quoted by the Metro, Murillo said: "I don't know if it's £70m, but I know there was a buzz of interest, so I don't know exactly how much the amount is, but I know there was interest.

"I had the dream of playing in the Premier League and I had that thought. I thought: 'I'll go to Nottingham Forest, have a good year and then I'll go to a big club'. I had that in my head."

Nottingham Forest's Murillo and Morgan Gibbs-White talk after the match on May 19, 2024© Reuters

Murillo open to joining Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool

Murillo has also named Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool as three other Premier League clubs he would be open to joining this summer.

Asked which other Premier League clubs he would like to play for, the Brazilian said: "I'd choose Manchester City, but it would be more difficult for me to be a regular starter given the players they have in their squad.

"There's City, Arsenal as well, who are fighting for the Premier League title. I wouldn't discard Liverpool either, it would be a good opportunity for me to show my football in a big club."

Murillo added: "We don't know anything for certain, the window opened last month so I'm going to return to Nottingham Forest for pre-season.

"There might be some discussions on whether I'll stay or not so there's a lot of things to happen still but I'm relaxed."

Forest are now under less pressure to sell players after generating the necessary funds from the sales of Moussa Niakhate and Orel Mangala by June 30 to avoid breaching the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules.

ID:547375:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5655:

Click here for more stories about Murillo

Click here for more stories about Arsenal

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca celebrates after the match on February 13, 2024
Read Next:
Calcio competition: Chelsea 'suffer blow' in pursuit of £70m signing
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
6pm
Vikings
@
Bears
6pm
Lions
@
Colts
6pm
Patriots
@
Dolphins
6pm
Buccaneers
@
Giants
6pm
Chiefs
@
Panthers
6pm
Titans
@
Texans
6pm
Cowboys
@
Washington
9.05pm
Broncos
@
Raiders
9.25pm
49ers
@
Packers
9.25pm
Cardinals
@
Seahawks
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Crystal Palace121561017-78
19Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
20Southampton11119721-144


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!