Nottingham Forest set to be offered "fantastic" UCL winner in Murillo deal
Nottingham Forest set to be offered "fantastic" UCL winner in Murillo deal
As they look to comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, Nottingham Forest have reportedly been offered a Champions League-winning defender in a swap deal for current star Murillo.
Nottingham Forest transfer news
The Midlands club are among the sides who must sell players this summer to comply with FFP, with players such as Orel Mangala and Moussa Niakhate reportedly heading for the exit door at the City Ground. And whilst those sales will undoubtedly go a long way towards avoiding any punishment from the Premier League this summer, Forest could still be left bidding farewell to Murillo in the coming months.
The central defender enjoyed an excellent campaign last time out and was one of the biggest standouts in the Midlands. Still just 21 years old, the interest of some of Europe's biggest clubs is far from surprising, but one offer could yet benefit Forest this summer.
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According to The Guardian, Chelsea are set to offer Trevoh Chalobah plus cash to sign Murillo, who Nottingham Forest value at a hefty £70m this summer. The Chelsea academy graduate won the Champions League with the Blues in 2021 when they defeated Manchester City, but now finds his place in doubt at Stamford Bridge.
The recent arrival of Tosin Adarabioyo has only sparked more questions over Chalobah's Chelsea future, potentially allowing Forest to land an instant replacement for Murillo. A central defender with plenty of experience at 24 years old, Chalobah would be an ideal arrival for Nuno Espirito Santo this summer.
"Fantastic" Chalobah can replace Murillo
At his best, Chalobah is a Champions League level defender, and if Forest lose Murillo this summer, he makes perfect sense when it comes to finding a replacement. Given Chelsea's admiration for Murillo too, Forest could land a simple swap deal to bring them out the other side of their PSR threat with a ready made replacement and cash in their pockets.
The numbers certainly show that Chalobah would be capable of stepping into the potential void left behind by Murillo, whilst also highlighting just how much he struggled for minutes at Chelsea last season.
It's quite the turn of events, given the praise of former manager Thomas Tuchel at the start of Chalobah's Chelsea career, saying via Football365: “Fantastic. He gets all the praise and it’s well deserved. Two excellent matches. He played against Arsenal and Tottenham in friendlies, then 120 minutes on Wednesday, then 90 today and scores. It’s fantastic these things happen in sports. A perfect day for him."
From that initial game time, the academy graduate has fallen down the pecking order and is arguably in desperate need of a summer exit.