Chelsea register interest in signing Nottingham Forest star amid incredible season 

Add as preferred source on Google

It’s not just Morgan Gibbs-White that’s garnering interest, with Chelsea looking at one of Nottingham Forest’s top stars.

Manchester City lead the race for Gibbs-White in what looks to be an ominous sign for the summer ahead, especially if Forest fail to secure a top 5 finish.

You’d like to think that, should Champions League football be achieved, the likes of Gibbs-White would want to experience continental football at the City Ground, but it’s hard to ignore the allure and potential salary spike of one of the Champions League regulars.

Forest’s summer plans remain up in the air with Edu yet to sign a Forest contract to be involved in the transfer action but should that deal be agreed, his first task may be fending off calls from Chelsea.

Chelsea shortlist Murillo ahead of planned summer move

A current rival for Champions League football, the Blues sit three points behind Forest in the Premier League table and have clearly determined that Espirito Santo’s incredible defence has played a part in this.

According to David Ornstein on NBC Sports, free-spending Chelsea’s response to this may well be to simply raid their rivals, with Murillo on a shortlist for potential defensive reinforcements.

Named alongside Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, Forest’s Brazilian sensation is said to be of interest to Chelsea, who have an extensive recent history of picking up the best young talents on the market.

After signing a new contract, Forest slapped a world-record price tag on Murillo to fend off any potential bidders in the January window but it’s well-documented that Chelsea have been willing to spend regularly to improve Enzo Maresca’s side – something that Murillo would certainly do.

Murillo is outperforming Chelsea’s defenders

It was rumoured that Chelsea showed interest in Murillo late in the January window, but no bid was reported. However, it’s clear that Chelsea’s interest in the Brazilian will return given Maresca’s difficulty in finding a strong defensive pair.

Immediately, the fact that the Blues’ centre backs can’t match Murillo’s appearances this season shows a lack of full trust from their manager.

Murillo outshines all three in his percentage of successful tackles and accurate long balls, whilst his incredible ability to dribble his way out of trouble is unmatched at Stamford Bridge.

With Murillo now a Brazilian international, his stock is only going to keep rising, to the point where the likes of Chelsea, who need a reliable talent at the back, will be constantly waiting in the wings.