Chelsea interested in Nottingham Forest defender Murillo

Chelsea have registered their interest in Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo, with the Midlands club in talks to sell defender Moussa Niakhate to Lyon.

Murillo is emerging as a target for new Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca, though the Brazilian is currently rated at a price of around £70 million by the Forest hierarchy.

Signed from Corinthians for an initial £11.2 million last summer, Murillo was named Forest’s player of the year after an impressive debut season in the Premier League.

Chelsea are making inquiries via intermediaries about the 21-year-old’s availability and regard him as a young player with high potential who fits the club’s profile following Maresca’s appointment this month.

It is understood that any deal is unlikely to happen imminently, though Forest are under some pressure to raise funds before June 30 to comply with financial controls.

Niakhate sale a major boost

Niakhate, the Senegal international centre-back, is set to give Forest a major boost in their bid to avoid future sanctions with a transfer lined up to French side Lyon for around £20 million in the next few days. A medical is expected very soon.

Forest are aiming to raise around £20 million in profit by the end of this month to ensure they avoid breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules this summer.

The offer for Niakhate from Lyon, a £12.7 million signing from Mainz in July 2022, is regarded as too good to turn down as he has only a year left on his contract and Forest will reluctantly allow him to leave. Negotiations with Lyon are ongoing.

Niakhate, 28, made 21 league appearances for Forest last season as the club avoided relegation under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Mangala deal close

Forest are also close to finalising the sale of midfielder Orel Mangala to Lyon for a fee of over £20 million.

Mangala, the Belgium international who is at Euro 2024, spent the second half of last season on loan at Lyon.

Niakhate and Mangala’s sales should be enough to prevent Forest from breaching the permitted losses for the 23/24 season, thus avoiding another possible points deduction.

Forest are working on other outgoings this summer, with goalkeepers Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos both expected to leave.

Carlos Miguel, the Corinthians goalkeeper, is signing for a fee of around £3.5m to provide competition for Matz Sels, so Turner and Vlachodimos are available for transfer.

Joe Worrall, Lewis O’Brien, Emmanuel Dennis and Josh Bowler are also expected to depart, either on loan or permanently.

Forest will also look to make signings ahead of the new season, with the main focus on recruiting young talent between the ages of 20 and 24.

Eric da Silva Moreira, an 18-year-old winger, joined from St. Pauli on Tuesday and is regarded as a genuinely exciting prospect.

Forest are scouring this country and across Europe for other emerging youngsters, with Birmingham City’s Wales international Jordan James understood to be one talent on the radar.