Chelsea face a daunting test on Sunday when they visit Premier League leaders Arsenal.
The Blues currently sit fifth in the Premier League table and are three points behind fourth-placed Manchester United in the race to secure Champions League qualification.
New head coach Liam Rosenior enjoyed a fine start to his tenure but has seen his side draw their last two games, and the Blues now face a potentially tricky run which includes games against Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Manchester United in their next six league matches.
Off the pitch, though, it appears that the Blues are well placed to sign an in-demand defender this summer.
As per TEAMtalk, the west London outfit are in pole position to sign Nottingham Forest central defender Murillo.
The report claims that Chelsea are joined by Premier League rivals Liverpool in showing ‘serious’ interest in the Brazilian, who is under contract at The City Ground until the end of the 2028/29 season.
Murillo has attracted interest from several clubs (Photo: BSR Agency/Alamy)
Murillo, 23, joined Forest from Brazilian side Corinthians back in 2023 and has since established himself as a key player for the Reds.
He played a key role for the club as they qualified for the Europa League last term, and has also featured 27 times already this season.
The defender recently made his 100th appearance for Forest across all competitions, and he is widely regarded as one of the best central defenders in the English top flight.
According to the report, Murillo securing a big move away from The City Ground this summer is ‘increasingly likely’ as interest in the Brazilian intensifies.
The player is currently contracted to Forest until the summer of 2029, but it appears increasingly likely that this season will be his last with the club.