Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijks future remains a major talking point, with the influential centre-backs contract set to expire in the summer.
Along with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk is part of a trio of key players who could potentially depart at the end of the season.
Losing Van Dijk would mean a gaping hole at the heart of Liverpools defence, so signing an adequate replacement would be essential. And they might have found the man ready-made to be Van Dijks successor.
Murillo on Liverpool's radar amid Van Dijk uncertainty
According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool have identified Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo as a top target, regardless of whether or not Van Dijk leaves.
Murillo has excelled for Forest so far this season, helping his side to fifth in the Premier League standings. Nuno Espirito Santos team are second only to Liverpool (six) for the fewest goals conceded in the division (10).
And Murillo has played a huge part in that defensive resilience. The 22-year-old is physically imposing, athletic and technically strong, capable of both bullying attacking players and playing the ball out from defence.
Its no surprise, then, that Liverpool are believed to be interested. They are not alone, with Chelsea reportedly tracking Murillos development at Forest.
If Liverpool cannot do a deal to sign Murillo, they could reportedly move instead for Sporting centre-back Goncalo Inacio or RB Leipzigs Castello Lukeba, who has also been linked with Real Madrid.
As things stand, though, Liverpool are in no real need of defensive reinforcement, given their exceptional record in the Premier League so far. Arne Slots league leaders have kept six clean sheets from their 11 matches and have the best xG conceded (9.3) of any team in the top flight.
Much is likely to depend on Van Dijks future and the asking price set by Forest, who will themselves be harbouring big ambitions after such a strong start to the season. Murillo is under contract until 2028, so Forests negotiating position will be strong.
In FFTs view, Murillo would be an excellent addition for any top Premier League team. At 22, he has plenty of time to further develop and would allow Liverpool to begin something of a rebuild at the back, with Van Dijk turning 34 in the summer.
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