Liverpool chiefs might be quite intrigued by recent comments made by a player who’s reportedly of interest at Anfield.
The Reds have been eyeing a possible summer move for Nottingham Forest defender Murillo (Football Insider), with the City Ground outfit having had to stave off concerns about Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), particularly after their points deduction last season.
The Brazilian – who turns 22 tomorrow – was speaking with Benjamin Back on the Benja Me Mucho, podcast when he addressed the speculation surrounding his future, amid reports that his club were recently approached by Chelsea.
The player said (via Liverpool Echo): “We don’t know anything for certain. The window opened last month so I’m going to return to Nottingham Forest for pre-season. There might be some discussions on whether I’ll stay or not, so there’s a lot of things to happen still, but I’m relaxed.”
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Although Murillo’s comments don’t quite fall into the category of a ‘come and get me’ plea, they nonetheless leave the door ajar for the likes of Liverpool to pounce if an opportunity arises.
The Forest defender is among a series of centre-backs that the Reds are reportedly pursuing, and he could fill the void for a left-footed option in that area of the pitch.
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Being named his club’s Player of the Season illustrates how commendably he performed in his first year in English football, and he ranked among the top 3% of positional peers in Europe’s five main leagues in 2023/24 for successful take-ons (0.65) and clearances made (6.07) per 90 minutes (FBref).
His scores for other key metrics fluctuated considerably, which suggests that Murillo still has a few facets of his game to improve upon, but he’s certainly worth taking into consideration in Liverpool’s search for a new centre-back.
Will Richard Hughes look to strike in the wake of the defender’s latest comments? Only time will tell…
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