Nuno Espirito Santo has been at Nottingham Forest since December, and he has determined that the striker position needs to be improved. However, he is currently searching for a new defender as well.
The club has been accused of violating the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules, so their investigation may be put on hold.
Still, let’s examine the defender who might end up being Murillo’s ideal partner.
Forest’s search for a centre-back
Trevoh Chalobah is reportedly available for signing by Forest this month, per reports from TEAMtalk earlier this week.
The Chelsea defender turned down a summer transfer to the Tricky Trees, but because he wants to stay in England, it’s thought he could make the move.
According to reports, the Blues will take a bid of £25 million for the defender; however, Forest will have to contend with competition from two Italian teams, most notably Napoli.
How Chalobah would fit in the Forest team
Murillo has been a pillar at the center of the defense ever since joining Forest in the summer for an estimated £15 million. This season, the left-footed star has started in 15 Premier League games as the left center-back and has not been replaced since making his starting XI debut.
In addition, the Brazilian led all players in Europe’s top five leagues under 21 in the number of clearances per ninety minutes (6) prior to this past weekend.
But in order to truly become a top-half team, the team needs to add a right center-back to play alongside Murillo, and Chalobah would be ideal in that position.
Due to the club’s constant hiring and Chalobah’s demand for playing time, the Chelsea defender hasn’t participated in a single game of football this season. But before Mauricio Pochettino joined the team, the 24-year-old was a regular starter for the Blues, making 25 appearances in the Premier League the previous year.
However, a few of Chalobah’s stats from the previous season across the top European leagues are displayed in the table below.
| Chalobah: Compared to CBs in top 5 leagues | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats (per 90) | Chalobah | Ranking in Europe |
| Tackles | 2.05 | Top 15% |
| Dribblers tackled | 1.73 | Top 1% |
| Touches | 81.57 | Top 14% |
| Passes completed | 62.67 | Top 16% |
| Successful take-ons | 0.65 | Top 6% |
| Passes into final third | 4.65 | Top 19% |
