After years of attempting to stockpile some of the best young talent around, it seems Chelsea are finally set for a dramatic shift in their transfer strategy as they struggle to keep pace with their rivals both domestically and abroad. With the Blues out of the Champions League and lagging behind in the gruelling chase for a top-five Premier League finish, the hierarchy is ready to change tack.

Manchester United and Chelsea are among those to have been credited with interest in Brazil international centre-half Murillo, and Nottingham Forest legend Viv Anderson has told GOAL that any team that gets a transfer deal over the line would be acquiring the Reds’ “best player”. It has previously been suggested that the mercurial South American could become the first £100 million ($135m) defender in world football.

Transfer fees have been creeping up for some time, with Neymar blowing the doors off that particular market when joining Paris Saint-Germain for €222m (£195m/$261m) in 2017. It appears to be only a matter of time before a defender moves for nine figures, with Marlon Harewood telling GOAL of why Nottingham Forest star Murillo could be the man to make history.

Stuart Pearce says Murillo "looks like SpongeBob" but is a "real talent" and could attract interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.