Arsenal have been utterly sensational so far this season.
Mikel Arteta's side are flying in the Champions League, and look near enough unstoppable when it comes to the Premier League.
More impressively, the Gunners tore Tottenham Hotspur to shreds on Sunday afternoon without the man many would consider to have been their best player so far this year: Gabriel Magalhães.
gabriel
The Brazilian has been sensational in defence and attack, and so fans should be excited about reports linking Arsenal with a star who could be looked at as another version of him.
Arsenal target another Gabriel
With the transfer window just over a month away from opening, it's not been a surprise to see reports starting to link Arsenal with some brilliant players in recent weeks.
For example, while the Gunners are fairly well-stacked in the position, Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson has been touted for a £120m switch to the Emirates.
Likewise, despite Leandro Trossard's impressive form this year, Kenan Yıldız continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League title challengers.
Juventus' Kenan Yildiz reacts
However, while incredibly talented, neither of these players can really be compared to Gabriel, unlike Murillo.
Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of a few clubs interested in the Brazilian defender.
Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Chelsea and Barcelona are keen to sign the talented centre-back, who Forest value at up to €90m, which is about £79m.
Therefore, it could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given his ability and similarities to Gabriel, one Arsenal should be pursuing.
Why Murillo would be another Gabriel
So to start with, there are the more superficial similarities between the pair, such as both being Brazilian centre-backs.
murillo-forest
On top of that, there is the fact that when Arsenal signed Gabriel from LOSC Lille in the summer of 2020, he was 22 years old, and if they sign Murillo in the winter window, he'll be just 23.
However, the comparison goes deeper than that, as, in addition to playing in the same position, the two defenders tend to play in a similar style as well.
For example, while he's not quite as tall as the Gunners star, the "monstrous" Forest man, as dubbed by journalist Ryan Taylor, is someone who makes the most of his physicality.
Whether it's in the air or on the ground, the former Corinthians gem is more than happy to go in for a full-throated challenge, which, more often than not, he comes out better off from.
murillo-nottingham-forest
However, don't let that fool you into thinking the Sao Paulo-born titan is just an old-fashioned defender who can't compete when it comes to the technical side of the game, as that couldn't be further from the truth.
Like his compatriot, the 23-year-old is far more accomplished on the ball than most who don't watch him on a weekly basis would expect.
For example, FBref ranks him in the top 5% of centre-backs in the league for successful take-ons, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 11% for through balls and shot-creating actions from live-ball passes, the top 13% for progressive passes and more, all per 90.
Murillo's Scout Report
Statistics
% of Dribblers Tackled
Blocks
Shots from Free Kicks
Interceptions
Successful Take-Ons
SCA (Defensive Action)
Passes Blocked
Ball Recoveries
Shot-Creating Actions
Tkl+Int
Goals/Shot
Goals - xG
Non-Penalty Goals - npxG
Passes Attempted (Long)
Through Balls
SCA (Live-ball Pass)
SCA (Dead-ball Pass)
Progressive Passes
SCA (Shot)
Tackles (Att 3rd)
Goals
All Stats via FBref
When you consider those technical qualities alongside the fact that he helped Forest produce one of the defensive record in the country last season, it's easy to see why one analyst made the bold claim that he's "one of the best defenders in the Premier League."
Ultimately, while he might not be on the exact same level as Gabriel - few defenders are - Murillo is clearly an exceptional player. Therefore, Arsenal would be wise to sign him before one of their rivals gets there first.
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