Liverpool have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of a new centre-back after a Premier League rival agreed a new contract with one of their key defenders who Jamie Carragher admires
Brazilian ace Murillo has – for now – dashed any dreams at Liverpool of sealing a transfer by signing a new four-year deal with Nottingham Forest.
The 22-year-old, who’s been a driving force in Forest’s mind-blowing leap to third in the Premier League table, is now officially out of the January transfer window mix for the Reds. This twist comes as a blow, especially after Jamie Carragher hinted the defender exactly what Liverpool needs to win the league title.
The Sky Sports pundit has claimed that Arne Slot’s squad is missing a left-sided centre-back who can double up as a left-back. He even proclaimed on Sky Bet’s Stick to Football podcast earlier in January that snatching such a star could guarantee Liverpool their first league title since the 2019/20 season.
“Liverpool need… I’ve said this for a long time, they need that left sided defender who can sort of do a little bit of both,” Carragher claimed. “Stature, presence and just a bit more power.
“That’s my only… I think if Liverpool sign that player in January. Nothing’s been linked, but it’s crying out for. I think if Liverpool did that, I’d be almost certain that they’d win the league.”
Despite boasting the league’s stingiest defence so far, with only 20 goals given away in 21 matches, there’s been concerns that Slot’s centre-back options alongside skipper Virgil van Dijk, such as Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah, have looked a tad fragile under pressure.
Missing out on Murillo, who has showed his ability on the left side of defence for former club Corinthians, is bound to sting even more given he previously dropped a big hint about wanting to pull on a Liverpool shirt, reports the Mirror. The Brazilian defender didn’t just stop at name-dropping Liverpool, he’s got his sights set on the top of the English football and isn’t shy about it.
Discussing his footballing ambitions on the Benja Me Mucho podcast last summer, he said: “I had the dream of playing in the Premier League and I had that thought, I thought, ‘I’ll go to Nottingham Forest, have a good year and then I’ll go to a big club.’
“I had that in my head. I’d choose Manchester City but it would be more difficult for me to be a regular starter given the players they have in their squad.
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“There’s City, Arsenal as well who are fighting for the Premier League title. I wouldn’t discard Liverpool either. It would be a good opportunity for me to show my football in a big club.”
While Liverpool’s own Konate and Gomez can’t always hit the supreme heights of Van Dijk’s standard, not to mention their own sagas with injuries, Murillo – who could theoretically become of interest for the Reds once again from the summer – has been nothing short of a rock-solid presence for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
Forest’s defensive strength has seen them rack up as many clean sheets as Liverpool in the league season with nine.