Nottingham Forest could be set for a major windfall in the coming transfer windows after it has emerged that the club hierarchy are already expecting to receive a record fee for one of their “outstanding” Premier League stars.
Forest finding their feet under new boss Nuno
After parting ways with club legend Steve Cooper, Forest have struggled for results under new boss Nuno Espírito Santo. Their 2-0 win over West Ham in their most recent outing was their first Premier League win of the calendar year, and they continue to look down nervously at the relegation spots.
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He joined the club from a Premier League rival this summer.
As things stand, they sit four points clear of Luton Town, with the Hatters occupying the final relegation spot. Between the two sides sit Everton, with the Toffees only above Luton on goal difference. But with 40 points considered the benchmark for guaranteed Premier League survival, Nuno’s side are still in need of a string of results to ensure that they do not spend next season in the second tier of English football, especially with a potential 10 point deduction looming should they be found guilty of breaching financial fair play regulations.
Forest’s next five Premier League fixtures |
Aston Villa (A) |
Liverpool (H) |
Luton (A) |
Crystal Palace (H) |
Fulham (H) |
Despite the lack of results, there have been some standout performances at the City ground, and one man in particular has been catching the eye.
Reds chiefs expect to eclipse Johnson sale
Undoubtedly currently the jewel in the Forest crown, young defender Murillo has made a massive impact in a short time at the club.
Murillo has reportedly previously caught the eye of Manchester City, but opted for regular Premier League football with Forest and his short stint in the Premier League has left him no shortage of suitors. Still just 21 years old, the Brazilian centre-back has been hailed as an “outstanding” talent by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, and placed in the same bracket as exciting Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite.
“I remember being a young lad going in myself at Liverpool and it’s an unforgiving position, I had to go to full-back for the next three or four years and then go back to centre-back, so you can see the quality we have”, he told Monday Night Football.
“(Jarrad) Branthwaite has been outstanding, Murillo I think has been outstanding too.”
Now, The Telegraph report that the Midlands outfit are already expecting Murillo to become their new-record sale, overcoming the summer departure of Brennan Johnson. Johnson joined Tottenham for £47.5m, but there is an expectation that Murillo will now be far more expensive than that should anyone wish to try and prise him away from the City ground any time soon.
It would represent a major return on the £11m investment that Forest made on the young defender, and is further evidence of the good business that has been done by the club in recent windows, though there have too been some mistakes.
Under contract until 2028, Forest will be under no pressure to part ways with Murillo unless they are in danger of breaching financial fair play again, something that they are currently under investigation for alongside Everton.
