Nottingham Forest's FFP struggles could help Liverpool seal cut-price Murillo swoop

Liverpool's hopes of signing Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo have been bolstered with the Midlands club up against the clock as they grapple with severe financial pressures.

For the second consecutive season, the club is in danger of violating the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. Last season, they received a four-point deduction, which seriously threatened their top-flight status.

Now, according to football finance expert Stefan Borson (in quotes given to Football Insider), Forest must generate a trading profit of £20 to 25 million by Sunday to address their financial shortfall and avoid another points deduction.

As a result, Nuno Espirito Santo's team require immediate profits from player sales and hope to offload several fringe players in the coming days.

However, with the deadline fast approaching, key players like Murillo or Morgan Gibbs-White might also be sold to meet the financial requirements.

Murillo, on Liverpool's radar

Murillo, 21, joined Forest last summer from Corinthians and has since become a crucial member of the side's defence, appearing 36 times across all competitions.

But despite his importance to the Tricky Trees, the Brazilian defender could be sold due to his significant market value, which is currently at a minimum of £40 million, considering Murillo's contract extends until 2028.

Liverpool are known to be among the clubs monitoring Murillo’s situation closely, and a move could make a lot of sense considering the side's defensive issues last season, especially after Joel Matip’s season-ending injury suffered in December.

The timely emergence of young defender Jarell Quansah, resulting in a call-up to Gareth Southgate's preliminary England squad for Euro 2024, alleviated some of this urgency.

Nevertheless, Liverpool remain in the market for potential centre-back signings and have been linked with Lille's Leny Yoro and Bologna's Riccardo Calafiori.

James Pearce, writing in The Athletic, said: "Another centre-back would certainly be useful given Matip’s departure and Ibrahima Konate’s issues with fitness and form, but the challenge is finding the right player at a suitable price."

Murillo, on a cut-price deal, could be exactly what the club needs.