Chelsea could sell Axel Disasi to make room in the squad for a “monstrous” new centre-back, who is highly-rated by manager Enzo Maresca.
Blues looking to sign new defender amid injury crisis
Injuries have plagued the Blues at the beginning of the Premier League season, and they are currently particularly light on options at centre-back, with Wesley Fofana and long-term absentee Levi Colwill still sidelined.
Against Liverpool, both Josh Acheampong and Benoit Badiashile were withdrawn due to injury, but Maresca’s side miraculously managed to come out on top in a 2-1 victory, with Estevao bagging a stoppage-time winner.
Disasi technically remains an option for the west Londoners too, but the 27-year-old is part of the ‘bomb squad’, and Maresca has previously made it clear he has no plans to reintroduce the Frenchman.
The Italian said: “Since the season started, I haven’t seen either of them. I haven’t seen Axel or Raheem. They train at a different time and on a different pitch. I haven’t seen them since the start of the season.”
As a result, it would make sense for Chelsea to cash in on the defender, and a report from Spain has now revealed they could sell Disasi to make room in the squad for Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, who is also being targeted by Bayern Munich.
The centre-back is highly-rated by Maresca, given his ability to play the ball out from the back, but a deal could be on the expensive side, with a price tag of £80m being touted back in the summer.
There is a belief the Brazilian would be the perfect fit in Maresca’s squad, and the Blues are confident they will be able to convince him to move to Stamford Bridge, despite the interest from elsewhere.
"Monstrous" Murillo could be ideal addition for Chelsea
Under BlueCo ownership, Chelsea have set out to sign young, high-potential players, and the 23-year-old certainly fits the bill in that regard, having already made a name for himself in the Premier League.
Journalist Ryan Taylor has been left particularly impressed by the Forest star’s performances, lauding him as “monstrous” earlier this year, and the former Corinthians man has caught the eye across a number of key metrics over the past year.
Statistic
Average per 90
Blocks
1.90 (94th percentile)
Clearances
6.97 (92nd percentile)
Successful take-ons
0.68 (95th percentile)
The only real doubt over the signing of the Brazil international is the fact he isn’t accustomed to playing in a side where keeping possession is a priority, as evidenced by the fact he places in just the seventh percentile for his pass-completion rate over the past year, compared to other centre-backs.
That said, Murillo is still young, and clearly has the talent to succeed at Stamford Bridge, having already made 72 Premier League appearances at Forest, and a January approach would make perfect sense, amid Chelsea’s injury troubles.