UNSTOPPABLE DEFENDER: WHY MURILLO IS THE PERFECT CHELSEA CENTER-BACK
Chelsea is targeting Nottingham Forest defender Murillo (£80m) as the necessary upgrade to Tosin Adarabioyo, whose form and style don't suit Maresca's system.
Enzo Maresca's first season at Stamford Bridge, where he won multiple titles, showed he could lead Chelsea for years. There's a lot to like about the team this year.
That said, they probably won't win the league just yet. Moises Caicedo's absence was felt again when he was suspended for the last game.
Arsenal is nine points ahead, and Chelsea needs to get better in several areas. Central defence is definitely one of them, as Tosin Adarabioyo's mistakes at Leeds proved.
Tosin has been criticised since his late blunder against Leeds. Noah Okafor stole the ball from him, leading to Dominic Calvert-Lewin's late goal that gave Chelsea a 3-1 loss.
He could also be better at building plays. Tosin, 28, likes to have the ball, but he's not as good at moving it forward as some other players in his position, which doesn't fit with the style of play Maresca wants.
It's clear he needs to be taken out of the starting lineup, but Chelsea doesn't have many options at centre back. Levi Colwill is still injured, and Wesley Fofana is frequently absent.
It's not shocking that Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are planning a big transfer in 2026.
Chelsea Wants Tosin to Upgrade
According to Football Insider, Chelsea might have to pay £80 million for Murillo from Nottingham Forest next year. Barcelona is also interested in the Brazilian centre-back.
Murillo, 23, is in his third year in the Premier League and is doing well. He's been key in making Forest contenders for Europe. His strength and aggressiveness are what Chelsea needs.
Regardless, he would be better than Tosin.
Why Murillo Would Be a Tosin Upgrade
Murillo keeps improving. Some experts on Brazilian football say he's one of the best defenders in the Premier League.
He's not very tall, standing under 6 feet. But Murillo is still a force to be reckoned with, a huge presence on defence.
Even with the changes at Forest this season, he's been a steady presence in the backline, though he's less creative now that Sean Dyche is in charge.
Stats can be misleading, but even though Murillo isn't creating chances directly, he's still one of the league's most well-rounded centre-backs. He's in the top 5% of Premier League players for interceptions and blocks, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for progressive passes, and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90 minutes, according to FBref data.
Shot-creating actions are plays that lead to a shot, like a pass, a take-on, or a foul drawn.
Tosin doesn't offer this kind of offensive contribution to the same degree. Plus, at 23, Murillo has much more room to improve than the 28-year-old Tosin.
Murillo is a scorer, protector, enforcer, and leader all in one. There's no doubt he would fit into Maresca's starting lineup at Chelsea, likely replacing Tosin.
Tosin has been a good addition since joining Chelsea for free, but now it's time for the team to be ruthless, as they have been many times before.
By putting success first, they will improve Maresca's project.
WHY WAS COLE PALMER SUBBED? THE REAL REASON BEHIND THE STAMFORD BRIDGE BOOS
Fans booed as Cole Palmer was subbed in Chelsea's draw with Bournemouth. Learn why Maresca was absent and what’s next for the Blues.
After Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth, assistant coach Willy Caballero defended the choice to sub off Cole Palmer, even though fans at Stamford Bridge were angry about Enzo Maresca's move.
Fans booed, yelling, You don't know what you're doing! when Palmer—who'd been one of the team's better players—was taken out in the 63rd minute. The home team was trying to score and break their bad Premier League streak at the time.
Chelsea has only won one of their last seven league games. Caballero said afterward that head coach Enzo Maresca, who wasn't there for the post-game interviews due to illness, is still a role model for everyone at the club.
Still, the pressure is on the coach after yet another result slipped away. Chelsea has now lost 13 points at home from winning positions.
The mood got especially sour when Palmer, who just came back from an injury, was taken off in the second half.
Every fan wants the best players on the field, Caballero said. We do, too. But Cole is coming back from a long injury. So we have to figure out the best substitutions to win the game while also keeping our players healthy. We need them for the entire season.
Caballero said about Maresca's absence, "He hasn't been feeling well for the past two days." He had a fever two days ago. He did the last two practices because he wanted to get the team ready. But after the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in because he wasn't feeling well.
He's handling it well and is very professional. He puts in a lot of hours every day, even when he wasn't feeling well the last two days. He loves to train and coach. He's a role model for me and the rest of the staff.
Bournemouth took the lead after six minutes when David Brooks scored on his second try after Robert Sanchez made a save. Then, Palmer scored a penalty to tie the game for Chelsea.
Next, Enzo Fernandez put the home team ahead, but the Blues couldn't hold on to their lead again. Justin Kluivert tied the score before halftime after Chelsea failed to handle a long throw-in from Antoine Semenyo.
There's been a lot of talk that this would be Semenyo's last game for Bournemouth before he moves to Manchester City soon. Before leaving the field, he seemed to say goodbye to the fans who had traveled to see the game.
Still, head coach Andoni Iraola was sure he'd play against Arsenal on Saturday.
It's not his last game here with us, he said. I can't say for sure, but I think he'll play.
He needs to rest. We've played two tough games in three days. We have Arsenal at home, so we're getting ready for another one, a tough game against the leaders. He's going to be important for us.
BREAKING: ENZO MARESCA SKIPS MEDIA AS CHELSEA CRISIS DEEPENS! GET THE HEALTH UPDATE
Enzo Maresca missed the post-match media due to a fever after Chelsea's 2-2 draw. Willy Caballero provides an urgent update on his health.
Enzo Maresca skipped media interviews after Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth because he was sick.
The Blues coach was supposed to chat after his team snagged a point against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
But right before he was about to talk about the game, news dropped that Maresca wasn't feeling good.
So, his assistant, Willy Caballero, stepped in to handle things in west London.
Caballero shared an update on Maresca: He's been under the weather for a couple of days, Caballero said. He had a fever two days ago.
After the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in for him since he wasn't feeling well.
Caballero was asked if he'd be in charge against Manchester City on Sunday, like he was against Villa during Maresca's suspension.
"I'm not sure," he said. I just want Enzo to get better. I think he'll be fine in a day or two.
The draw with Bournemouth means Chelsea has only won one of their last seven Premier League games.
Fans were clearly annoyed during the second half when Cole Palmer was subbed out for Joao Pedro.
Palmer just got back to playing regularly after a groin injury, but some Chelsea fans wondered why he was taken out.
About the boos, Caballero said, "Of course, every fan wants their best players on the field, and so do we."
But Cole is coming off a long injury, so we have to figure out the right subs for the game and also look out for our players since we didn't have him for a while.
Chelsea and Bournemouth had a boring 0-0 draw in their previous match earlier in the month.
But the game at Stamford Bridge was totally different, with Bournemouth taking the lead early on through David Brooks.
Palmer leveled the score with a penalty, and then Enzo Fernandez blasted a shot into the top corner to put Chelsea ahead.
But Chelsea failed to defend a long throw for the second time, allowing Justin Kluivert to score for Bournemouth.
After playing City, Chelsea will face their west London rivals Fulham before an FA Cup game away against Charlton Athletic.