Nottingham Forest finished in seventh place in the Premier League table, and that brings some challenges for the club despite the obvious sign of progression.
Firstly, Forest will have to juggle the UEFA Conference League alongside 38 tough Premier League games next season, with the squad in need of new recruits to compete.
Being in European competition in the fourth season back following promotion is real progress, but a stellar season in 2024/25 means that clubs are sniffing around Forest stars.
Anthony Elanga is the subject of a £45m bid from Newcastle, with Forest adamant that he won’t be sold on the cheap during this transfer window.
Elsewhere, Morgan Gibbs-White was eyed by Manchester City, and it’s clear that clubs are looking towards Forest as a hunting ground for new players.
Crystal Palace FC v Nottingham Forest FC - Premier League
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Liverpool like Forest defender Murillo
Death, taxes and a club in the mix to sign Forest defender Murillo.
One year on from Chelsea pushing hard to sign Murillo, here we are again, only this time Forest have the luxury of demanding an astronomical fee after the defender penned a new deal.
According to The Athletic, Premier League champions Liverpool are big fans of Murillo internally and are closely monitoring the Forest centre-back.
MORE FOREST STORIES
However, as the report also alludes to, the winners of last year’s title are unlikely to move as they see the Forest man as an option that they can’t afford this summer.
Murillo has been a mainstay in the Forest team for two seasons now and with European football on the cards next season, it’s highly unlikely that he will be pushing to move away from the City Ground.
Murillo is destined for the top
Clearly, Forest will have to become established not only in the Premier League but also in Europe if they have any desire to keep hold of Murillo long-term.
The Reds would have welcomed Champions League football to send a message out to the rest of the Premier League last season, but ran out of steam at the end of the campaign.
Murillo has been a breathtaking signing for just £10.6 million, and it’s quite interesting to imagine what profit the club could make on any deal that saw him leave the club.
At some point in the future, Murillo will go to the top, but if he remains on Trentside for next season, he will get the chance to get European football under his belt too.
That would be a useful learning curve for the Brazilian, and hopefully, any thoughts of going to Liverpool will be firmly at the back of his mind for now.