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Nottingham Forest turned down a club-record offer from Chelsea for Brazilian defender Murillo during the January transfer window, as per The Telegraph. The Premier League side have been one of the surprise packages this season as they sit in third, with Murillo one of their most impressive performers.
Chelsea suffered multiple defensive personnel losses in the first half of the season, with Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile picking up significant injuries. The Blues sought reinforcement in the January transfer window and made an early attempt to recruit a new defender.
The Telegraph pointed out that the Blues made an early attempt to sign Murillo from Nottingham Forest, making a club-record offer to the side. Nuno Espirito Santo's side quickly knocked back the offer, making it clear that they did not intend to entertain any offers for the 22-year-old Brazilian.
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Forest have since handed a new lucrative contract to Murillo last month, tying down the Brazil international until 2029. The defender has been impressive all season, with his highlight being a terrific showing in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool in January.
Chelsea quickly moved on after realizing that they were not going to be able to sign Murillo from Nottingham Forest in the January transfer window. They decided to recall academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah from his loan at Crystal Palace and reintegrate him into the squad for the remainder of the campaign.
Murillo picked up a minor injury in his side's 7-0 bashing of Brighton & Hove Albion over the weekend but has been important to their success this season. He has featured in 23 league games for the side this season, helping them sit above the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Chelsea defender completes Premier League loan move
Chelsea defender Axel Disasi has completed a loan move to fellow Premier League side Aston Villa until the end of the season. The Frenchman signed with Villa on transfer deadline day as one of several temporary exits from the Blues.
Former AS Monaco man Disasi failed to impress Blues boss Enzo Maresca this season, leading to a bit-part role for the Blues. The centre-back made just six league appearances for the Blues, with four of them being starts, and made 11 more appearances in other competitions.
Disasi was wanted by Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa but opted to join Villa, who are in the UEFA Champions League. The 26-year-old was one of three high-profile loan additions to Unai Emery's squad this month, alongside Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio.
