Arsenal handed perfect opportunity to sign DREAM Gabriel back-up

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 19 Mar 2024 19:42 GMT
• 3 min read

Nottingham Forest may be forced to sell Brazilian defender Murillo this summer in the wake of their recent Premier League points deduction.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have been deducted four points after breaching the English top flight’s profit and sustainability rules, meaning they will likely need to sell several top players in order to generate funds this summer.

According to The Daily Mail, Murillo is one player who may be sold by Forest at the end of the current campaign amid transfer interest from Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

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Murillo, 21, joined Nottingham Forest for a reported €12 million from Corinthians last summer and he has made 27 appearances for the club so far.

His form in the Premier League has been mightily impressive, considering Forest’s position in the table, and he had even been tipped for a big-money move away before news of the club‘s points deduction.

With Forest now needing to raise funds to meet financial requirements, it seems as though Murillo has edged even closer towards a summer exit.

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Arsenal to sign Murillo?

Mikel Arteta may have adopted a system that uses four traditional centre-backs in recent weeks, but Benjamin White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior have barely featured in the middle of a back four since their arrivals and Jurrien Timber was used at full-back in pre-season too.

Therefore, despite the apparent abundance of centre-backs at the Emirates Stadium, they could well dip into the market for a new player in that position.

Having scouted Murillo, the Gunners are evidently interested in the Brazilian and Nottingham Forest’s need to sell may present Arteta with the perfect opportunity to bolster his backline.

Murillo is a left-footed centre-back like Gabriel Magalhaes and has proven to be an expert box defender during the early months of his career in England.

Ultimately, he has caught the eye since his move to the City Ground and he appears ready to take the next step in his development. As a result, a move to Arsenal could be the perfect solution.