Murillo has not shied away from discussions about his future at Nottingham Forest amid transfer links. He even mentioned Liverpool and other clubs in his latest press statement.
Liverpool are among the clubs being linked with Murillo, who had an impressive debut season with Forest in the Premier League. With Joel Matip leaving Anfield, the wily defender looks like the ideal successor.
And while the 22-year-old admits his choice would be Manchester City, he refused to rule out Liverpool as a destination. He also admitted that there is interest from Chelsea.
In an unusually candid interview with the Benja Me Mucho podcast, Murillo admitted it was always his plan to move on from Nottingham Forest after a year. His sights are set on the “bigger” clubs:
“I had a dream of playing in the Premier League and I had that thought,” he revealed. “I thought, ‘I’ll go to Nottingham Forest, I’ll have a good year and then I’ll go to a big club.’ That’s what I had in mind.
“I would choose Manchester City but it would be more difficult for me to be a regular starter with the players they have in their squad. There are also City and Arsenal fighting for the Premier League title.
“I wouldn’t leave Liverpool either. It would be a good opportunity for me to show my football at a big club.”
Murillo joined Nottingham Forest from Corinthians last summer and made 32 appearances to help his new side avoid relegation. According to Brazilian outlet UOL, he is valued at $65m (£51m/€60m).
Liverpool.com says: Well, thanks for not leaving us, Murillo. As well as angering his existing fans, who will certainly not appreciate the suggestion that Nottingham Forest are not a big club, the Brazilian has not exactly endeared himself to many of his suitors.
If Manchester City don’t come for him, the club he signs for will know he’d rather move elsewhere. The comments seem ill-judged at best.
But maybe something got lost in translation. And in any case, Murillo is still young and just articulating the kinds of preferences that any number of players undoubtedly have. He would probably be fully invested if he were to move to Liverpool, and his comments certainly shouldn’t be enough to put the Reds off.
If anything, the fact that he name-checked Liverpool suggests that personal terms would not be the main stumbling block. The only important question is whether the club believes greater value can be found elsewhere.