Chelsea have ‘no chance’ of easy deal for classy Nott’m Forest star as source confirms sky-high asking price | OneFootball

Chelsea retain interest in Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo, and TEAMtalk sources have revealed the likelihood of the 23-year-old completing a blockbuster January move to Stamford Bridge.

The once-capped Brazil international is one of Forest’s most important players and scored a fantastic goal as they beat Liverpool 3-0 last weekend.

Murillo has made 13 appearances across all competitions this season and has started all but one of Forest’s games under new manager Sean Dyche.

He has, though, been heavily linked with Chelsea. The Blues considered him over the summer. However, the fact that he penned a contract extension in January this year puts the Tricky Trees in a strong position as interest in his signature ramps up.

TEAMtalk transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed the latest on the situation, insisting that Chelsea must pay a premium to sign the centre-half, who joined the Reds in a bargain €15m (£12.9m) fee from Corinthians in summer 2023.

“I do believe Chelsea have an interest in Murillo, but Forest made a very smart move by signing him onto a new contract at the start of the year and in line with that he’s going to be priced appropriately,” Jones exclusively told TEAMtalk.

“There’s no chance of Chelsea getting a good deal on a player Forest don’t want to lose, who is tied up [by his contract] until 2029.

“We know they [Forest] can be hard to negotiate with and I just don’t think he’ll be getable in January. But that doesn’t mean Chelsea would not try.

“We’re still getting signs that Chelsea are in the market for a centre-back, as has been suspected, so this does tie in with that. They’re going to have to decide what level of player they go for and how much they are willing to spend.

“If they look like making a serious title challenge, maybe they decide it really is worth investing at a significant level.”

Chelsea weighing up big-money centre-back signing in January

Chelsea are unlikely to spend huge sums in January but there is a feeling that Enzo Maresca would like another centre-back option.

Wesley Fofana is finally fit again but his previous injury problems are a concern, while Levi Colwill is potentially out for the season with an ACL injury.

Trevoh Chalobah has generally played well this term, but the likes of Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile don’t seem to have the full trust of Maresca, while Josh Acheampong is still a youngster (19), though undoubtedly has potential.

Murillo is on the shortlist and has been since the summer, but multiple outlets have suggested that it could take north of £70m to lure him from the City Ground.

This raises the question of whether Chelsea would be willing to part ways with such a fee mid-season, when they are already in good form with their current squad.

TEAMtalk transfer insider Fraser Fletcher, meanwhile, has reported that Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande is also on Chelsea’s radar.

Crystal Palace view Diomande as a key target but Chelsea are also in the mix to sign the 21-year-old, who has a price tag in the region of €50m (£44m / $58m).

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk understands that Chelsea are interested in Jagiellonia’s 17-year-old midfield prodigy Oskar Pietuszewski, who is considered to be one of the best Polish talents in years.

Along with Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City have scouted Pietuszewski extensively, and all three clubs are considering formal approaches in the January window.

TEAMtalk has previously confirmed that the Blues are interested in the 19-year-old, but signing him in January is highly unlikely.