Barcelona scouting defensive target liked by Chelsea and Juventus

Barcelona are stacked in the centre of their defence more than at any other position, but continues to keep an eye on potential recruits down the line. With Inigo Martinez ageing, and the likes of Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen facing uncertain futures, they might be in the market for a centre-back sooner than might appear.

One of the names that they are tracking is Nottingham Forest defender Murillo. The Brazilian has become one of the most impressive at his position in the Premier League over the past year, and the Blaugrana are paying close attention report Sport. The Catalan paper mention that he has all of the attributes that Barcelona court in their defenders, exhibiting power, bravery, pace and good ability on the ball. His pesonality and the fact that he is left-footed also work in his favour.

As is often the case with Barcelona targets though, they are not the only side interested in the Brazilian. Last summer Juventus and Chelsea both enquired about him, and Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has not ruled out a major sale in the future. That said, Murillo will not come cheap: he just renewed his contract at the City Ground until 2029. He was on Barcelona’s shortlist last summer when they made a move for Jonathan Tah, but they decided to go for the more experienced (and cheaper) option.

Hansi Flick’s starting XIs typically include 5 to 6 La Masia players per game. @gbsans

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) January 24, 2025

The plot has certainly thickened at the back for Barcelona. Pau Cubarsi looks as if he will be there for some time, and Inigo Martinez is set to have his contract extended until the summer of 2026. Barcelona have made it a policy to not have any of their players go into the final year of their contract, and with no sign of talks over a new deal for Garcia or Christensen, they could be on the move. Ronald Araujo has just renewed his deal, but with a reported reduced release clause should he want to leave in the summer.