As things stand corrected of this moment, Liverpool are the best team in Europe with just three matches lost this season. They are comfortably sitting on top of the Premier League table and have qualified for the knockout stage of the Champions League. However, this raises concerns regarding three key players whose contracts are up for renewal. According to reports, Liverpool are already strategizing for a life post-Van Dijk since he has four months left on his contract. Furthermore, Liverpool are in competition with Arsenal for Nottingham Forest center-back Murillo.
The 22-year-old center-back has helped Nottingham Forest remain in the top four of the Premier League this season. The City Ground was made home to the 22-year-old shortly after arriving from Brazil, and he quickly became an instrumental part of the Reds.
In his rookie season, the Brazilian was crucial in helping Nottingham Forest escape relegation, though the club was in real danger of losing points for breaching some PSR rules.
Arsenal and Liverpool to battle it out for the Brazilian
This season, Murillo has raised his game to new heights, scoring one goal in 23 Premier League appearances while keeping eight clean sheets. The defender is instrumental in guiding his team toward a potential champions league spot, as they currently sit in third place with 47 points from 24 games.
It is no wonder that some top English clubs are eyeing him, as he has been making memorable performances on-field. The player as reported by CaughtOffside has “strongly interested” Liverpool in making Murillo the possible replacement for Van Dijk and may possibly file in the summer for a move to Anfield.
Forest, on their side, are not going to allow their star defender to go out cheaply. With four and a half years remaining on his current contract, they have slapped on a £80m price tag. Simply put, Arsenal is also interested, while Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have both indicated they want to sign him.
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Van Dijk has been the pillar of Liverpool’s defense for quite a while now, and losing him would be a major blow for the club. During that time, if Liverpool manage to sign Murillo, an inspired backup into the vault of defenders could pay back quite handsomely for the club in the future. It will be worth following whether the Brazilian competes head-on against Arsenal for his services from next season onward.
