Chelsea 'devise plan' to sign 22-year-old Premier League star after club-record transfer rejection

Enzo Maresca's men are said to have been one of three clubs to consider a swoop for the highly-rated Brazilian midway through the season, a list that also included Barcelona and Juventus.

However, Nuno Espirito Santo's side slapped a not-for-sale sticker on the head of Murillo, who has played a pivotal role in the Tricky Trees' shock surge for the Premier League title and Champions League football.

Forest ultimately agreed a new long-term contract with the 22-year-old, whose new terms run until the end of the 2028-29 season, but a sizeable bid could still turn their heads given that they only forked out €12m (£10m) to sign him from Sao Paulo.

According to Football Insider, Chelsea were so determined to land Murillo in January that they approached Forest with an offer that would have made the 2002-born defender their most expensive departure of all time.

Forest 'rejected' club-record Chelsea bid for Murillo

It is unclear how much the Blues' bid was worth, but Forest's current record sale is Brennan Johnson, who left for Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth a reported €55m (£45.9m) in the summer of 2023.

The Garibaldi are understood to have rejected Chelsea's advances, but the Blues retain a strong interest in Murillo and have devised a new 'plan' to secure his signature when the summer rolls around.

Even though Chelsea apparently have a 'limitless' transfer budget, the report adds that the West London giants are under no illusions that a deal will be incredibly difficult to pull off, but they have not lost hope.

Murillo has netted once in 23 Premier League appearances for Forest this season, also helping Santo's men keep nine of their 10 clean sheets, only missing the 2-0 win over Everton in December due to injury.

The 22-year-old also has two assists to show from a total of 59 appearances in a Nottingham Forest jersey, and the Tricky Trees are already said to have identified a La Liga-based replacement should he decide to move on.

What alternative centre-backs could Chelsea target?

While Forest's asking price for Murillo remains under wraps, the Tricky Trees will certainly not be expected to entertain offers of under £50m, and they could justifiably demand more given the 22-year-old's exemplary defensive displays this term.

Instead, Chelsea could try to reunite with a player whose contract only runs until the summer of 2026 - Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, who spent 14 years on the books at Stamford Bridge from 2007 to 2021.

The Blues are said to be confident of beating Tottenham Hotspur to the signing of Guehi, who was originally valued at £70m by Palace, but the Eagles may now have to reduce their demands given that he is in the final 18 months of his agreement.

Bournemouth protege Dean Huijsen is also said to be appreciated by Stamford Bridge chiefs, but the Blues can expect to face competition from another Premier League powerhouse to capture the 19-year-old.

Chelsea sit fourth in the Premier League table and return to action away to Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday, seeking revenge for Saturday's 2-1 FA Cup defeat to the Seagulls.

Written by

Ben Knapton