Arsenal sporting director Edu is a big fan of Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, according to LondonWorld reporter Chris Wheatley.
Speaking on the Chris Wheatley Show, the journalist revealed that, while Edu would back a move for the Brazilian, manager Mikel Arteta is not as keen:
“The Nottingham Forest defender, Murillo, he’s attracted a lot of interest. Of course, he had an amazing first season at Forest, plucked from Corinthians. And he’s really caught a lot of attention from teams across the Premier League. Tottenham, as well, really like him. I think it’s more Edu at Arsenal that likes Murillo than Arteta.”
Forest are not expected to let Murillo leave on the cheap. Back in March, The Telegraph reported that they value the player at £50m, despite only paying £13m for him last summer.
Arsenal will have competition for the Brazilian
As Wheatley points out, North London rivals Tottenham are keeping close tabs on Murillo. Chelsea and Liverpool have also been mentioned as potential suitors.
The Gunners haven’t been linked with the 21-year-old up until now but club legend David Seaman did say back in May that he was hoping that his former team would pursue him.
Is Murillo the only centre-back that the club are looking at?
Wheatley says that, while the Forest player is on Arsenal’s radar, they are more likely to make a bid for Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo at the moment.
The Frenchman is expected to be on the market for around £40m this summer, making him a cheaper target than Murillo. However, the fact that he plays for Nice means that Manchester United are favourites to snap him up due to the connection with INEOS. Even so, it appears Mikel Arteta’s side are seriously considering strengthening the centre of defence.
