Nottingham Forest are ready to lose one of their key men should an offer come in, as they look to continue their upward trajectory under Nuno Espírito Santo.
Nottingham Forest taste Premier League defeat
If you had told any Forest fan that their first taste of Premier League defeat would come as late as their sixth game this season, they would probably have bitten your arm off.
The Garibaldi only just avoided relegation last season, but have made a strong start to the campaign this time around, aided by summer signings Ramon Sosa and Jota Silva, as well as the imposing figure of Nikola Milenkovic in the heart of defence.
Though out of the Carabao Cup, they sit ninth in the Premier League in an early season highlighted by a shock win over Liverpool at Anfield, with nine points from six games leaving them on course for 57 points across the season and a comfortable mid-table finish.
But a 1-0 home defeat to Fulham brought the club a little way back down to earth, with Nuno’s side managing just one shot on target as a Raul Jimenez penalty proved the difference between the two sides.
With a favourable run of fixtures ahead, they will be hoping that the loss is just a blip rather than a sign of a downturn in form at The City Ground. But now, a potentially unpopular sale has been mooted.
Nottingham Forest ready to cash in
Football Insider reports that the club are now ready to cash in on fan-favourite defender Murillo, but only for a huge fee.
The centre-back has been a revelation since his arrival from Corinthians just over a year ago, and has caught the eye of plenty of clubs around Europe, with Chelsea among those who reportedly held an interest over the summer.
He was dubbed “excellent” by Sky Sports pundit Dougie Critchley, while he also came in for praise on Match of the Day from Ian Wright.
“The way they defended, you know, he’s getting to be one of my favourite players to watch, Murillo at the back for Forest.
“He’s so good, he’s so good on the ball. He’s passing out of defence, he’s very good.”
Murillo opted to stay at Forest for another season, explaining that he “is in the best place” for regular game time.
However, he suggested a future move was likely, adding: “Staying here for another season will enable me to mature as a player and eventually become better prepared if the chance ever comes to play at another level one day… I want to eventually play in the Champions League.”
Now, Football Insider claims that the club would “reluctantly sell Murillo for a ‘huge’ fee” next summer, and that they would only entertain offers “if they can make a huge profit” on the defender.
Given he cost £10m just a year ago, that should not be too difficult, with the defender still having almost four years to run on his £30,000-a-week deal at The City Ground.
With reported interest from across Europe, his future sale could even become a new club record, surpassing the £45m that Tottenham shelled out for Brennan Johnson last summer.
