Liverpool are believed to have “serious interest” in signing a Premier League player this summer, but it could be an odd move for the Reds going by their usual scouting criteria.
Liverpool plan for summer after another quiet transfer window
The January transfer window has ended with the Reds making no new signings, which may cause an element of frustration among the fanbase, especially following a relatively quiet time of things in the summer, too.
Arne Slot can look at both the Premier League and Champions League tables and argue why he doesn’t need reinforcements, but that hasn’t stopped Liverpool being linked with fresh faces for future moves, with Lyon youngster Rayan Cherki one such player who has been mentioned as an option for the Merseysiders.
Meanwhile, Red Star Belgrade teenager Andrija Maksimovic has also been mentioned as an option for the Reds of late, being looked at as a long-term signing, considering he is still only 17 years of age. In fact, Liverpool are even thought to have made a bid last month.
There is of course also the threat of all three of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold walking out the Anfield exit door this summer, which would require a massive overhaul, and the Reds’ top centre-back target if Van Dijk goes has been revealed.
According to a new report from Caught Offside, Liverpool have “serious interest” in signing Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo this summer and the player is open to joining if a fee can be agreed.
On that note, the 22-year-old’s current club are demanding £80m for his services, which would be a full circle moment given the report touts him as a replacement for £75m man Van Dijk, should the legendary Dutchman not sign a new deal and depart on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.
Murillo has undoubtedly played a key role in Forest enjoying such an impressive season, impressing at the heart of the defence and being lauded by Kenny Cunningham, who has said of him in the past: “We’ve spoken about him after three of four of these Forest performances and it’s amazing, I think he’s only six foot, maybe six one, he’s wide, he’s so confident and you really feel like he’s got a strong personality.”
Murillo doesn’t feel like the right fit for Liverpool, however, which would arguably make signing him a bizarre decision by the Premier League leaders. Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were signed because of both their aerial dominance and ability on the ball, and the statistics show that the Reds pair are far superior to the Forest man, as the below table highlights.
|
Premier League stats 2024/25 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
23 |
23 |
17 |
|
Aerial duel wins per game |
1.0 |
3.0 |
2.8 |
|
Pass completion rate |
79.3% |
91.9% |
89.9% |
Murillo is also in the bottom five percentile for aerial duels won when compared across the big five leagues, according to FBref, as well as the bottom two percentile for passing accuracy, so this could feel like fitting a square peg into a round hole given how Michael Edwards has scouted defenders in the past.
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Forest’s style of play is very different to Liverpool’s, and while it is easy to look at his performances and be excited about him joining the Reds, he doesn’t feel like the right fit.
