Premier League breakout star Murillo, who has already been linked with Real Madrid and Liverpool, is being backed to become the first £100m defender.

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Joined Forest for just £10mHas starred in English footballLinked with top European clubsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 22-year-old centre-half is currently starring for Nottingham Forest, having moved to the City Ground from Corinthians in a £10 million ($12m) deal during the summer of 2023. Murillo’s stock has soared on Trentside, to the point that he is said to be attracting interest from leading sides across Europe.

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Murillo has become a cult hero in Nottingham, with his South American flair being showcased alongside more typical defensive traits. He is an exciting player to watch, with buccaneering breaks often made out from of the back, while always being prepared to put his body on the line for the good of any given cause.

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Chelsea are said to have seen a bid rejected towards the end of the last transfer window, while Liverpool are also being credited with interest. Any deal involving the Samba star, who has already been involved with senior Brazil squads, could see him become the first defender to generate a nine-figure fee.

Getty/GOALWHAT STAN COLLYMORE SAID

Quizzed on whether Murillo is destined to be a record-breaking £100m ($124m) star, Forest legend Stan Collymore – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “He could be. There are clubs watching him. From a personal perspective I would love to see him stay at Forest for the next three, four, five years. He’s signed his new contract.

“Obviously with the season that Forest are having, it is going to be very difficult to keep hold of players. He has got a bit of everything. It’s a strange one really because he doesn’t look like a central defender at all – he’s not the tallest, he’s fairly ungainly in the way that he moves around, but he’s a bit of a throwback in terms of liking to defend, likes to get touch-tight with players and get physical and he anticipates things well.

“He may well go on to become the first £100m defender, which for Forest would be an incredible deal if it came. My hope is that he stays for another two or three years.”