Arsenal & Chelsea handed major £88m transfer ‘boost’ as Leeds plan second attempt at summer targetplaceholder image
Arsenal & Chelsea handed major £88m transfer ‘boost’ as Leeds plan second attempt at summer target | Getty Images
Both Chelsea and Arsenal are reportedly interested in the same Premier League star, who has been valued at £70m.
The Blues are in second place, six points behind Arsenal, and will be keen to keep their momentum going and potentially shoehorn their way into the Premier League title race. However, they do have some needs in the January transfer window.
There has been talk of adding another number nine at Stamford Bridge, and a goalkeeper, but their most obvious need is a centre-back. Enzo Maresca could decide to go after a proven Premier League star to fill the need; however, it looks like he is going to have competition from Arsenal.
Chelsea and Arsenal keen on Forest star Murillo
Nottingham Forest had their best weekend of the season so far, as they managed to beat an out-of-sorts Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield, to climb further away from the relegation zone. Manager Sean Dyche seems to have got the players playing the right style of football again, and it was clearly all too much for Liverpool.
One of the players who shone in that game was defender Murillo. He not only kept a clean sheet, but was also able to score Forest’s first goal after 33 minutes. His performance at Anfield earned him an 8.7/10 rating from FotMob. No other Forest man scored higher. The Brazilian defender is no stranger to transfer interest, as Chelsea were linked to him in the summer, but Forest value him at over £70m, so the Blues opted against making a move.
However, according to Caught Offside, Chelsea could reignite their interest in Murillo, especially seeing as they could find themselves in the title race. But the same report says that Arteta is also a big fan of the defender and could go after him to add more cover for Gabriel and William Saliba, who have both suffered injury problems this season.
Romano claims January defender move is unlikely for Chelsea
Despite the re-emerging links with Murillo, transfers Journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that he doesn’t expect the Blues to make a move for a defender, especially an expensive on in the window, as he believes that Maresca is already very happy with his current squad.
Romano said last week: “At the moment it is very quiet. Chelsea are happy with their squad and are not seeking any player and have not started any conversations with any new centre-backs for the January window. Chelsea are always monitoring the market, we know that. They are always attentive to opportunities. They also felt last summer in August that there was probably no player available on the market for Chelsea who could make an impact.”
So, if the Blues are interested in Murillo, it seems that a move in the summer transfer window would be more likely for the 23-year-old. He has made 87 appearances for Forest since joining in 2023, and has scored three goals, two assists, and has become one of the best young defenders in the league.
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