Barcelona eye Premier League star as strong candidate for 2026 transfer | OneFootball

Next summer is crucial for Barcelona, in that they will need to address two very important areas of Hansi Flick’s squad: centre-back and striker. Inigo Martinez will eventually need to be replaced following his move to Al-Nassr in August, while Robert Lewandowski is expected to leave at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Pau Cubarsi and Andreas Christensen have operated as left-sided central defenders since Martinez’s exit, but neither has looked entirely comfortable. Thus, it is imperative for Barcelona to find a more suitable profile in 2026, and currently, they are lining one up.

According to CaughtOffside, Barcelona are one of the clubs showing the strongest interest in Nottingham Forest defender Murillo. The 23-year-old has been in excellent form since moving to the Premier League club in 2023, and he could be one to watch next summer.

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Barcelona have been aware of Murillo for over 12 months, with interest dating back to March 2024 at the very least. And they could be prepared to act on this during next summer’s transfer window, although they would face strong competition – from Arsenal, among others.

Nottingham Forest have price in mind for Murillo

According to the report, Forest are relaxed about Murillo’s situation, although they would be open to selling if an offer of €70-80m were to arrive. Barcelona will hope that they have money to spend in 2026, but given that a striker is also needed – a position where cost is at a premium – they may struggle to spend this amount on a new central defender.

For now, it remains to be seen whether Barcelona intensify their Murillo interest in the lead-up to next summer’s transfer window, but as far as targets go, he would be a very suitable one – not only because he is left-sided, but because he is 23 years of age, and can thus be a long-term partner for Pau Cubarsi.