Nottingham Forest have had a number of top-performing players during the 2024/25 campaign so far.
The Reds are sitting fifth in the Premier League table and have a good foundation to build from for the remainder of the season.
Chris Wood has been given a new nickname by Shay Given after eight goals in 11 appearances for the club.
He’s not the only player to have started well though, with Gary Neville praising Elliot Anderson after a recent win over Leicester.
Ian Wright has also praised Ola Aina during the current campaign and other players have also caught the eye this season.
With several players now away on international duty, it’s a great chance for Forest to take stock and get excited at just how well some of the top stars are performing.
Nottingham Forest star among the best in Europe when it comes to clearances
A run of good form for Forest has been built on solid foundations starting with a more rigid approach to defending.
Last season, things were abysmally bad defensively and Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has identified the problem.
Nikola Milenkovic has been producing the goods at the back but he’s actually brought the best out of Murillo too.
The Brazilian was rewarded for his fine form with a call-up to the Brazil squad, although he didn’t get on the pitch during a 1-1 draw with Venezuela.
Murillo might be on the cusp of a debut for Brazil though and when it comes to clearances he’s fourth in the list when it comes to players in Europe’s big five divisions.
He’s completed 67 clearances this season, according to FBRef, and for context, he’s ahead of Marc Guehi, Wout Faes and Max Kilam from West Ham.
Murillo is going to earn Forest a fortune
Manchester City considered signing Murillo before Forest eventually swooped in to secure his signature.
Now, all of the top clubs will be looking at Murillo based on his form since he checked in at Forest from Corinthians.
Murillo has a number of skills that he brings to the table and the fact remains that Forest will have to prepare for life without him at some point.
Evangelos Marinakis valued him at £70 million in the summer and that saw Forest stand firm when it came to clubs knocking on the door.
Murillo is going to be comfortably the highest transfer fee received when the time does come for him to join one of Europe’s top clubs.
For now, however, us fans should enjoy him on Trentside and watch him become one of Europe’s very best defenders at the City Ground.