Chelsea offer ‘two players plus cash’ in swap deal for Nottingham Forest defender to derail imminent Liverpool transfer

Chelsea are admirers of Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo and have reportedly formulated an ambitious plan to beat Liverpool to his signature.

The 21-year-old signed for the Tricky Trees last summer for just £11m and is considered one of the best young defenders in the Premier League.

Murillo is a vital cog in Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad. Still, Forest could reportedly be forced to sell a key player as they’re under pressure to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

This could mean the centre-back leaves the City Ground for a cut-price fee despite his high valuation of £70m, with Forest needing to generate around £20m before submitting their accounts for 2023/24 on Sunday.

Reports suggest that Forest would have to seriously consider offers in the region of £40m for Murillo in the next few days.

This has caught the attention of Liverpool, who are big admirers of the defender and are searching for a long-term replacement for Joel Matip. The Reds are reportedly considering a move for Murillo ‘this week.’

But a fresh report has claimed that Chelsea are doing all they can to win the race for the Forest star and could even offer two players in a swap deal for him.

Report: Chelsea ‘offer two players’ for Murillo

According to reports from Brazil, as cited by Football365, Chelsea have ‘made an approach’ to sign Murillo ‘amid interest from rivals Arsenal and Tottenham,’ as well as Liverpool.

It’s claimed that Forest are ‘studying a proposal’ from Enzo Maresca’s team with the Blues ‘offering two players plus cash’ for Murillo.

The report adds that the defender ‘could be traded’ and his former club Corinthians are keeping a close eye on his situation given they have a 10 per cent sell on clause in his contract.

Sources have revealed to TEAMtalk that Chelsea do hold a serious interest in Murillo but we understand that claims of a swap deal are premature at this stage.

Chelsea are ‘seriously considering’ an offer though, so this is a story that could develop quickly in the coming days. We understand that they can now be considered frontrunners in the race.

Murillo could be brought in as a replacement for Thiago Silva, who will officially depart Stamford Bridge once his contract with Chelsea ends on Sunday.

The Forest star made 32 Premier League appearances in 2023/24 and played a key role in helping Forest avoid relegation, despite them receiving a four point deduction.