Chelsea attempted to complete the signing of a "composed" Premier League player in the January transfer window in a record deal, according to a fresh claim.
The Blues picked up a much-needed 2-1 win at home to West Ham in the league on Monday evening, taking some pressure off manager Enzo Maresca after some patchy form of late.
Despite falling behind to Jarrod Bowen, Chelsea rallied in the second half and didn't allow their heads to drop, with Pedro Neto equalising and Aaron Wan-Bissaka scoring an own goal, following typical good work from Cole Palmer. There were injury concerns for Nicolas Jackson and Mac Guiu, though, acting as a concern moving forward.
It was relatively quiet at Stamford Bridge in the January window, certainly by the Blues' standards in recent years, with Maresca content with the squad he has, following a busy summer of business.
That's not to say that Chelsea weren't linked with an absolute host of players, however, with Sporting CP defensive midfielder Dario Essugo mentioned as a possible option late in the day. Now, a fresh update has emerged regarding another reported target before deadline day reached its conclusion.
According to a new report from The Telegraph, Chelsea attempted to sign Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo in the January window. The Blues were swiftly and emphatically shut down in their efforts to sign the £80m-rated defender, who would be a record sale for Forest at that price.
Nuno Espirito Santo did not want to lose such an influential player midway through the season, and the Brazilian then signed a contract extension at the City Ground to further cement the strength of Forest's resolve.
Murillo is enjoying a fantastic campaign for Forest, arguably standing out as one of the leading central defenders in the Premier League, so it is understandable why Chelsea were keen to snap him up. The 22-year-old has started 23 games in the league in 2024/25 to date, while former Steve Cooper heaped praise on him during their time together in 2023, calling him "composed".
Jamie Redknapp has said of him: “From his touches today, you can just see the quality that he possesses. He’s going to be a real fan favourite. He possesses a lot of weapons in his armoury – he’s got a lovely left foot which I think gives you a massive advantage."
Total | |
---|---|
Appearances | 23 |
Starts | 23 |
Minutes played | 2030 |
Aerial duel wins per game | 1.0 |
Pass completion rate | 79.3% |
Clearances per game | 6.3 |
Tackles per game | 1.7 |
Interceptions per game | 1.0 |
That said, for all of Murillo's quality this season, he has averaged only one aerial duel win per game in the league which is less than Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana, while on the ball he has also only completed 79.3% of his passes.
The duo appeared to be hurt during the Blues' victory against West Ham United.
For that reason, there would be a risk element in Chelsea going back in for him this summer, but if Maresca thinks he can suit his style of play, it could still make sense.
2025-02-05T05:42:03Z