This summer could be another busy one for Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea, with Todd Boehly potentially authorising a number of outgoings in order for the Blues to comply with Financial Fair Play.
Those gaps in the squad will have to be filled of course, and whether Pochettino is given a stay of execution or not, whomever is in the dugout will need to ensure that any replacements are up to the high standards that Chelsea demand.
It’s fair to suggest that many of Poch’s signings have fallen woefully short in that regard, so the Argentinian will be under more pressure to get things right in the transfer market if he still holds the managerial reins after the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
Chelsea looking at Murillo
That could all depend on whether Chelsea win the FA Cup and manage to earn a spot in next season’s Europa League, as a lack of continental football will also certainly spell the end at Stamford Bridge for the current incumbent.
Whether or not he’s on the bench, it appears to be a foregone conclusion that the club will go after Nottingham Forest’s brilliant centre-back, Murillo.
According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, speaking on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the Midlands-based side will command a huge fee for the player, who is also being tracked by Liverpool, Man United and Paris Saint-Germain.
Given that Chelsea have often looked shaky in defence during their 2023/24 Premier League campaign, acquiring another defender wouldn’t necessarily be the worst move in the world.
With Forest floundering all season despite a change of manager, Murillo’s sale would help the club to bring in reinforcements in other areas.
Whether letting him go would be a case of two steps forward and one back for the club would only be understood in the wake of any sale.