I saw 'relentless' Nottingham Forest player show why Liverpool should target him and not Murillo - opinion
Yesterday at 04:00 PM
The 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League last night had some intriguing subplots.
Arne Slot was determined to spearhead his side to a win – with Forest the only team to beat him so far in the Premier League – but it wasn’t to be as the two sides shared the spoils after an entertaining game of football.
The game also saw the top two teams in the Premier League come up against each other, while reported Liverpool transfer target Murillo seemingly passed his audition with flying colours with a solid performance at the back.
However, Nikola Milenkovic is the one Liverpool should look at if they want to add to their rearguard in the summer transfer window.
Liverpool should prioritise Nikola Milenkovic over Murillo
Murillo enhanced his reputation with another monstrous display for Forest as he continues to establish himself as a cult hero at the City Ground.
With Virgil van Dijk’s future at Liverpool uncertain and the likes of Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate prone to injuries, the Reds are likely to be on the lookout for a central defender in the upcoming transfer windows.
Murillo is the obvious choice from Forest and has already been linked with a move to Anfield, but judging by his performance yesterday, Milenkovic is just as important to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, if not more.
Having joined the club for a fee believed to be in the region of £12m from Fiorentina last summer, the towering Serb has undoubtedly been one of the best newcomers in the Premier League.
Forest’s game plan relies heavily on them being resolute defensively as they tend to hit teams on the counter when the opportunity arises, so both Milenkovic and Murillo are central to their prospects this season.
Standing at 6 ft 5 in, the Serb is also more of a physically imposing character, due to which he is likely to emerge on Michael Edwards and the Liverpool data team’s radar than Murillo, who is no slouch himself at 6 ft.
What has Nuno said about Milenkovic?
Earlier this season, Nuno hailed Milenkovic for his role on and off the pitch for Forest as he continues to take the Premier League by storm since swapping Italy for England.
“He is contagious to be around,” said the Forest manager in an interview with Sky Sports.
“This is what makes him so valuable for us, his character. He brought us stability, leadership, and aggressiveness.
“Defending requires the physical part also but it is a lot about mentality. You have to be relentless. Attackers have a different mindset.
“One mistake does not mean too much. Back there, it needs 100 percent focus. Every minute, every action. Nikola has that.”
At the age of 27, he has seven seasons of Serie A experience under his belt and has also represented Serbia at two FIFA World Cups, making him a seasoned campaigner at the top level.
Liverpool don’t really need a superstar signing in central defence as Van Dijk and Konate are likely to continue their partnership, so an addition like Milenkovic could be the perfect signing to add more quality and experience to their backline.
