Enzo Maresca identifies “amazing” Brazil international as Chelsea’s ‘key defensive target’

Brazil have a host of great players. (REUTERS/Adriano Machado)

Chelsea’s steady climb under Enzo Maresca continues, and the Blues are beginning to look like genuine title contenders.

Their 2–0 win over Burnley at the weekend — sealed through goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández, both beautifully assisted by youngsters Jamie Gittens and Marc Guiu — only underlined their growing momentum.

Now sitting second in the Premier League table, six points behind leaders Arsenal, Chelsea have taken three wins on the spin and suffered just one defeat in their last six.

But despite the progress, Maresca is not easing off. The Italian wants further upgrades, especially at the back — and he has reportedly locked onto the defender he sees as the perfect addition.

According to a new report from CaughtOffside, the battle to sign Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo is heating up, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Barcelona all pushing hard for his signature.

The 23-year-old Brazil international has been a standout performer since arriving in the Premier League, and sources within the agent world claim interest in him has accelerated rapidly. Chelsea, in particular, have been following him for months, with Maresca viewing Murillo as a “key defensive target” for 2026 and beyond.

Maresca’s system leans heavily on centre-backs who can build play confidently from deep, and Murillo ticks every box. His calmness under pressure, natural ball-carrying ability and defensive anticipation make him an ideal stylistic fit for Chelsea’s possession-heavy blueprint.

Despite Forest’s mixed form this season, Murillo has still caught the eye across his nine Premier League appearances. Former Forest defender Joe Worrall — now at Burnley — is among those who have publicly raved about him, calling the Brazilian an “amazing talent.”

“He’s quick, strong, can head it, reads danger really well,” Worrall told The Guardian. “I think that’s something that you watch for with players who are good with the ball who play centre-back. They dribble with it and they pass it and whatever, but can they defend? He can read danger. He’s in the right place at the right time. It’s no fluke – he just knows, it’s something that he’s checking.”

With Arsenal and Barcelona also in the hunt, Chelsea face significant competition — but Maresca’s admiration for Murillo is firm, and the Blues are expected to be aggressive if Forest open the door to a sale.

Barnaby Lane is a highly experienced sports writer who has written for The Times, FourFourTwo Magazine, Sports Illustrated, TalkSPORT, and Business Insider.

Over the years, he's had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in world sport, including Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Christian Pulisic, and more.