Nottingham Forest have been hugely successful in the transfer market, with Brazilian centre-back Murillo the cream of the crop.
Murillo has been called up to the Brazil squad a number of times since his arrival at the City Ground in 2023, emphasising the impact the centre-back has had in the Premier League.
Whilst the Forest faithful love him, pundits have also found themselves in awe of the Brazilian, with Rio Ferdinand impressed by Murillo as his stock continues to rise.
His importance to the Forest squad has seen Murillo compared with Gabriel and William Saliba of Arsenal as one of the Premier League’s most formidable defenders, which is truly remarkable given that his move to Forest was his first foray into European football.
Given his incredible impact on English football since his arrival, here is everything you need to know about Forest’s South American gem, Murillo.
Who is Murillo?
Murillo Santiago Costa dos Santos was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil. His football education came from bouncing between teams in the city such as Sao Bernardo and Uniao Barbarense, before signing for Corinthians at 17.
The defender only made his debut for his hometown side in April 2023, playing 13 times for the club before signing for Forest in August 2023, becoming one of Steve Cooper’s final signings before being sacked at the end of the year.
How much did Nottingham Forest pay for Murillo?
At the time of his arrival, it was said that Forest had a £14m bid accepted for Murillo but the fee may have been closer to £15m.
Regardless, though, the signing was a tremendous piece of business by Evangelos Marinakis to the point that it continues to be a talking point, with Joe Cole labelling Murillo as a bargain.
The deal is made even more impressive when considering that Forest would demand a world record fee to sell Murillo should the elite sides of European football try to sign him.
Murillo age
Murillo was born on the 4th of July, 2002. The centre-back lost his father, Fabio – who was a lifelong Corinthians fan – at age 10.
How tall is Murillo?
Standing at 6’0″, Murillo is on the smaller side for a centre-back but this hasn’t prevented him from being an imperious presence at the back for the Reds.
Murillo Brazil
It became an inevitability that Murillo would earn his chance with the Brazilian national team given his immense displays at the City Ground. The moment finally came in November 2024 as Murillo earned his first Brazil call-up.
Despite not making an appearance in his first camp, Murillo was proud to represent Brazil and will surely go on to earn plenty of opportunities with his national team.
Murillo wages
According to Capology, Murillo earns £40,000 per week at Forest putting him behind the likes of Chris Wood and Nikola Milenkovic in terms of salary.
Before Murillo signed a fresh Forest contract in January 2025, he was earning £30,000 per week at the City Ground.
Will Liverpool sign Murillo?
It has been reported that Liverpool are interested in signing Murillo, which will come as no surprise to Forest fans who will have dreaded the inevitable day that the most successful clubs in football took an interest in the Brazilian.
There has also been speculation surrounding Chelsea’s interest in Murillo but a bid has yet to be made.
Murillo Real Madrid
Perhaps an even more nerve-racking proposition for the Forest owner comes in the interest from Real Madrid, who are a difficult club to turn away once a player knows of their interest.
Real Madrid have scouted Murillo when playing for Forest already, with Murillo training with Vinicius Junior when away with Brazil a potential omen for the centre-back’s future at club level.
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