Liverpool, Chelsea working hardest on £50m Nottingham Forest raid as Blues eye triple sale | OneFootball

Murillo is preparing to leave Nottingham Forest this summer, and the level of interest in the Brazilian defender is already “strong and serious”, we understand.

Sources close to the 23‑year‑old have confirmed that his camp are actively assessing potential landing spots, with the expectation growing that this summer will be the window he finally makes the jump to a top‑six club. We can reveal that Chelsea and Liverpool have done more groundwork on Murillo than any other club over the past 12 months, with both sides even weighing up bids last summer.

Chelsea’s interest remains firm, despite the club bringing back Mamadou Sarr and expecting Levi Colwill to return from injury. We’re told the Blues are open to listening to offers for Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah — a situation that could accelerate their push for another central defender.

Liverpool, meanwhile, should not be discounted. Yes, they beat Chelsea to Jeremy Jacquet and have Giovanni Leoni returning this summer, but uncertainty around the futures of Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez means the Reds could still move for another centre‑back. Sources insist Murillo remains firmly on their list.

Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all monitored Murillo extensively, with the wider belief inside the game being that the one-cap Brazil international is very likely to stay in England.

Arsenal are yet to finalise their plans for Pedro Hincapie, who could be used more frequently at full‑back going forward, so even his signing might not rule them out.

United and Spurs have long admired Murillo, but both clubs’ next steps depend heavily on how their current centre‑half groups shake out over the coming weeks.

Forest are fully aware of Murillo’s desire to take the next step. Sources close to the club admit that the defender has “probably hit his ceiling” at the City Ground, and the expectation internally is that he will push for a move.

However, Forest will demand full value — just as they intend to do with Morgan Gibbs‑White and Elliot Anderson, who are also attracting significant interest.

While no formal price tag has been set, we have been told Forest will seek more than £50million (€57.5m / $68m) for Murillo. The player signed a new four‑year deal in January last year, and Forest were adamant at the time that no release clause was included — a stance that remains unchanged.

With multiple Premier League clubs circling and Murillo’s camp preparing for a summer exit, all signs point toward a major bidding war. Chelsea and Liverpool remain the most advanced, but the situation is fluid — and Forest are ready to hold firm until their valuation is met.

TEAMtalk’s Dean Jones reported on February 4 that United are keen on both Murillo and Anderson, though they are facing serious competition from Manchester City and Chelsea for the latter.