Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will expect to see his side improve drastically when they face ES Tunis in the FIFA Club World Cup on Wednesday.
The Blues were beaten 3-1 by Brazilian outfit Flamengo in their second group stage match on Friday, meaning they must now beat Tunis to be certain of progression to the knockout stages of the competition.
In their first match of the tournament, Maresca’s side had cruised to victory over MLS giants LAFC, but they were well below par in their performance on Friday and the Italian will expect to see a better showing next time out.
In the meantime, it has emerged that Chelsea have considered a surprise move for a Premier League defender.
According to CaughtOffside, Nottingham Forest’s Murillo is one of four defenders that are of interest to the Blues as they search for defensive reinforcements.
The report claims that the West London outfit had enquired about the terms of a possible deal for the centre-back, but have been informed that he is valued by Forest at more than £68 million.
Murillo has attracted the attention of Chelsea (Photo: Every Second Media/Alamy)
Murillo joined Forest from Corinthians in 2023 and has since established himself as one of the best central defenders in the Premier League.
The Brazilian defender is under contract at The City Ground until the end of the 2028/29 campaign.
As well as the 22-year-old, Chelsea are also said to have identified Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie as a potential target as they hunt for a new centre-back.
Ajax star Jorrel Hato – who can also play at left-back – is another option being considered by the Europa Conference League winners, however rivals Arsenal have recently held positive talks about a move for the Dutchman.
The final name on Chelsea’s shortlist of targets is Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in recent months.