Liverpool join Chelsea in chase for 24-year-old Brazil star | OneFootball

Liverpool have taken steps to ensure continuity in the centre-back position over the last few transfer windows.

We’ve seen big money lavished on Jeremy Jacquet - a £60m signing from Rennes - as well as £26m teenager Giovanni Leoni.

Also among the arrivals have been Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe as Andoni Iraola and sporting director Julian Ward wrestle with the conundrum of losing Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez at the end of the season.

If that seasoned pair move on then there could well be a crisis of experience in the Liverpool backline - with a lack of senior options back there ahead of next season.

Murillo back on the radar for Liverpool

One option could be to add a Premier League-proven candidate to the ranks - and one who could replace Van Dijk on the left side of defence.

There are new links emerging around Murillo of Nottingham Forest - a 24-year-old Brazilian left-footer who is crucial to Oliver Glasner at the City Ground.

Murillo - who joined Forest from Corinthians back in 2023 - is now secured under a long-term deal until 2030.

Murillo deal difficult to do for Chelsea and Liverpool

A report in Football Insider is now claiming that Liverpool - as well as Chelsea - have got the strapping defender in mind as they make plans for new signings next summer.

“Liverpool and Chelsea have joined the race to sign Nottingham Forest star Murillo in 2027,” the report reads.

Nonetheless given the strong position Forest find themselves in owing to Murillo’s contract duration the Reds as well as Xabi Alonso’s side may well be frustrated in their attempts to land the talented South American.

“Nottingham Forest will not entertain offers for Murillo in the January transfer window,” the report reads.

“While his performances have attracted high-profile interest, and both Liverpool and Chelsea are keeping tabs on his situation, it will be a difficult deal to pull off.”

Murillo: Situation summary

Murillo remains Nottingham Forest’s standout defender: a left-footed, front-foot centre-back who combines recovery pace and aggression in duels with the confidence to carry or pass through pressure.

He is most comfortable on the left of a pairing, where his ability to defend space and progress possession makes him suited to a more proactive side.

The Brazil international was central to Forest’s survival and Europa League semi-final run last season, making 39 appearances in all competitions and forming an effective partnership with Nikola Milenković.

His current campaign is about regaining full sharpness after a hamstring issue that kept him out for four months.

Forest reinforced their position in May by extending Murillo’s contract to 2030.