Tottenham are reportedly ready to battle north London rivals Arsenal in their bid to snap up an impressive Premier League centre-back this summer.
Ange Postecoglou wants to get one more central defender on board during the summer transfer window to complete a quartet that also includes Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin.
The need to bolster the defence comes off the back of Eric Dier and Japhet Tanganga recently being released, while Emerson Royal and Sergio Reguilon are also expected to be sold.
Emerson remains a top target for AC Milan, with Tottenham reportedly eyeing up a Monaco star to replace him as full-back cover.
But centrally, Postecoglou is wary of the difficulties Spurs found themselves in last season when Van den Ven was sidelined for months and Romero banned.
That led to the January arrival of Romanian international Dragusin, but Postecoglou wants another name through the door to complete that set.
everal names in Italy have been tipped to make the move to Tottenham, but one player who is much closer to home could end up in either the white or red half of north London.
North London interest in Forest standout
Highly-rated Nottingham Forest defender Murillo is the player in question, having played a key role in keeping his side in the Premier League this past season.
The Brazilian played 32 of Forest’s 38 league games as they 17th in the table, six points above the drop zone.
His performances certainly caught the eye and latest reports that a transfer battle is now brewing in north London for his services.
Murillo, who is under contract until 2028, is still only 21 and is viewed as a long-term acquisition who could develop into one of the best centre-backs in England with the right coaching and development.
As for Arsenal‘s interest, Mikel Arteta wants a quality third option at the heart of his backline after being fortunate to be able to call on William Saliba and Garbriel for virtually the whole campaign.
Murillo will not come cheap though, with Forest reportedly valuing him at between £60-70million, given his age and the length of time he has left on his contract.
Quite whether Spurs or Arsenal are willing to pay that much for a player who will effectively start the majority of games on the bench remains to be seen at this stage.
