Arsenal may face off against their rivals Tottenham in the pursuit of Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, with Arsenal’s sporting director Edu leading the charge. The 23-year-old Brazilian, who joined Forest from Corinthians in 2023, has been a standout performer. In his debut season, he played 32 Premier League matches, playing a crucial role in helping Nuno Espirito Santo’s team avoid relegation, while Luton, Burnley, and Sheffield United were relegated to the Championship.
Murillo’s form has not gone unnoticed, with a number of clubs tracking the 21-year-old. Football Transfers have reported that the Gunners are keen to move, while Spurs’ interest is long-standing. Forest are aware of this and wants between £60-70m to sell the player. That would be a huge profit on their £11m outlay.
Tottenham signed Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin to strengthen their backline in each of the last two windows, but with Eric Dier and Japhet Tanganga both departing on free transfers this summer and the future of Wales’ Joe Rodon unclear after a loan spell at Leeds, Ange Postecoglou could be in the market for another centre back.
Were Murillo to join Arsenal, he may find it tough to usurp first-choice defensive pairing William Saliba and Gabriel, and Mikel Arteta’s side conceded just 24 Premier League goals last term; their focus is on a striker, according to the report, but they are keen to strengthen at the back.
Towards the end of last season, Murillo expressed his aspirations on BBC Radio Nottingham, stating that while he had always dreamed of playing in Europe, his primary ambition was to play in the Premier League, which led him to join Nottingham Forest.
“For me, it is my dream to play in the Premier League,” he said. “I have always dreamed about playing in Europe, but playing in the Premier League was my big dream. Today, I am playing in the Premier League. Nottingham Forest are the best group and the best team with a big history. We need to stay in the Premier League.”
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