Chelsea have placed Murillo on their transfer shortlist, but are likely to face strong competition from Bayern Munich should they pursue a move for the Nottingham Forest defender.
Murillo has made 80 appearances in all competitions for Forest having joined the club from Corinthians in an agreement worth around £15million back in 2023.
The Brazilian was named Forest’s Player of the Season after a stellar first year at the City Ground and his partnership with Nikola Milenkovic proved central to the side’s success under Nuno Espirito Santo.
And while Forest have endured near-disastrous start to the new campaign, Murillo’s stock remains high, with the 23-year-old rated among the most highly regarded young centre-backs in English football.
According to German newspaper Bild, Murillo’s performances over the last two-and-half years have not gone unnoticed amongst Europe’s elite and Bayern Munich have ‘set their sights’ on a possible deal with Forest.
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It’s claimed Murillo’s ‘name is interesting’ at Bayern – while the German champions scour the market for defensive reinforcements – and the Brazil international is said to be firmly on the club’s ‘radar’.
Bayern bosses are ‘desperate’ to extend Dayot Upamecano’s contract beyond the end of the season, but have been forced to search for potential replacements in the event that the Frenchman edges towards the exit door.
A deal for Murillo will not come cheap, though. The report suggests it would likely take an offer in the region of €55million (£48m) to prise the centre-half away from the City Ground.
Bayern’s hierarchy are aware that Chelsea also ‘have Murillo on their list’ and have been monitoring his progress for some time. It’s understood Real Madrid are admirers, too, and made an unsuccessful bid for the Forest star last January.
Chelsea decided to prioritise their attack in the summer transfer market, with Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho all touching down in west London.
Jorrel Hato was Chelsea’s sole addition at the back after Ajax shook hands on a £35.5m deal for the versatile Netherlands international.
Murillo is tied into a contract until June 2029 and Forest have no intention of entertaining offers for the defender at this stage, especially in their current position.
In the past, Murillo has made no secret of his ‘dream’ to one day play Champions League football and compete for major trophies.
Murillo also confirmed that he had been the subject of ‘interest’ from Chelsea last year.
But at the time, the ex-Corinthians man – who has been capped once by Brazil – decided to turn down a proposed move to Stamford Bridge to continue his development with Forest.
‘I don’t know if it’s £70m, but I know there was a buzz of interest,’ he told the Benja Me Mucho podcast.
‘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.’
Murillo was forced off with a thigh injury in Ange Postecoglou’s first match in charge of Forest against Arsenal and he made his return in the side’s Europa League defeat to Midtjylland.
The defender will have the chance to impress his potential suitors when the Premier League season resumes, with Forest playing host to Chelsea in eight days’ time.