The cunning Chelsea and Nottingham Forest summer swap deal that could massively benefit both clubs

One of these days, Murillo is going to score a goal from his own half, and the world will be a better place for it. Twice already this season, the Nottingham Forest defender, for reasons that he would have to explain to you himself, has picked up the ball in his defensive third, taken a few cocksure strides, and lashed an effort goalwards. On both occasions he has come agonisingly close to the kind of strike that would have been a staple highlight on Premier League Years for decades to come.

Presumably, the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United have not developed an interest in the Brazilian purely as a consequence of his personal quest to win a Puskas Award, but then again, who can say for certain? According to Football Insider, the trio of top flight heavyweights, as well as French giants Paris Saint-Germain, are casting a beady eye over Murillo, and could be tempted into testing Forest’s resolve with bids for his services this summer.

For their part, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side continue to face external pressures from the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Regulations, and may, therefore, be forced into selling one or more of their most valued assets in the coming months. Football Insider suggest that it would take a ‘huge’ figure to prise Murillo away from the City Ground - although it remains to be seen whether Liverpool, Chelsea, or United consider a fee ‘well in excess of £20 million’ to be catastrophically exorbitant.

But even if they do, perhaps there is a deal to be cut here - especially where the Blues are concerned. You see, it wasn’t so very long ago (the end of January) that Chelsea and Forest were embroiled in negotiations over another defender. At the time, Trevoh Chalobah could perhaps best be described as a ‘forgotten man’. Now it would probably be more accurate to suggest that he is ‘barely remembered’. The centre-back has played just 394 minutes of Premier League football over six outings this season, and his prospects don’t look a great deal brighter than they did during the winter transfer window, when Forest evidently saw enough of an opening to believe that they could lure him away from Stamford Bridge.

Maybe, then, there is something worth revisiting in that initial interest. If Murillo is to leave the club this summer, and if spending is to be tightly policed by stern rulings from above, then it could be beneficial to Forest for them to bring in a ready-made replacement for the South American.

Chalobah may not have much of a future in West London, but there is no denying that he is a Premier League quality talent more than deserving of another shot at the top flight if and when he leaves his boyhood club. Forest could offer him that, while also softening the blow of Murillo’s potential exit in a manner that would appease financial regulations far more than several alternatives. Likewise, Chelsea could steal a march on Liverpool and United by landing a player who has enjoyed a stellar debut campaign in England, while also clearing a little room on their sizeable wage bill.

The prospect of a cash-plus-player swap could, therefore, be an agreement that leaves everybody involved with a feeling of contentment. Except Murillo, of course; he won’t rest until he’s scored a goal from a different postcode.