By the end of the first training session, Steve Cooper knew he had a gem on his hands.
Players were joining Nottingham Forest at a dizzying rate. This one, bought for £10.3million from Brazilian giants Corinthians on the strength of only 27 senior appearances, had a lot to prove. Within hours, the coaches were looking at each other, wide-eyed with excitement.
Murillo Santiago Costa dos Santos had ticked every box. Now, he is now one of the best young defenders in the world.
Murillo is the rock on which Forest’s push for Champions League football is built. Forest wobbled recently, losing three games in four, but their defence was back to its solid best in Wednesday’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal, as Murillo led the way with another superb display to win man of the match.
Along with Nikola Milenkovic, the Brazilian is part of arguably the Premier League’s best central defensive duo and last month signed a new four-year contract. He does not turn 23 until July.
He leads the league in blocks made (56), ranks second in clearances (165) – which often end up at the feet of Forest’s counter-attacking wingers – and is the heartbeat of a defence who sit second for clean sheets (11), behind only Liverpool.
Murillo is the heartbeat of Nottingham Forest’s back line and one of the best young defenders in the world
He leads the league in blocks made (56) and ranks second in clearances (165) – which often end up at the feet of Forest’s counter-attacking wingers
To those who saw that first training session at Forest two years ago, none of this is a surprise
To those who saw that first training session at Forest two years ago, none of this a surprise. Murillo’s spring had caught their attention instantly, as had his pace, the quality of his left foot and the way he always appeared in control of his movements.
Both his short and long passing were of the highest standard and – most of all – he was a natural defender.
Many young players who arrive from different leagues are eased gradually into Premier League football. Not Murillo, who was given his debut a month after signing and made 36 appearances that season, ending it with the player of the year award. Forest were soon aware of interest from some of Europe’s wealthiest clubs, Real Madrid and Chelsea among them.
Yet Murillo’s success in England is due to far more than his talent alone. Cooper’s good work, leading the club to the top flight in 2022 and then keeping them there, has been enhanced by Nuno Espirito Santo and the structure of the club has been transformed. If Murillo feels as comfortable in Nottingham as he did in Sao Paulo, Forest deserve great credit.
Though Forest players are expected to communicate mainly in English, it has helped Murillo that he has the same first language – Portuguese – as Nuno. As Murillo is one of six Brazilian or Portuguese players in the squad, Forest added a Portuguese speaker to their player care team, who try to ensure new signings’ lives off the field proceed as smoothly as possible.
Their work has paid off. Murillo feels so settled in Nottingham that he and wife Mabili Coladello held their gender reveal party at the City Ground in December. The couple, who married last summer, are expecting a baby girl. This is home now.
When Murillo signed his new deal, his wife accompanied him for the formalities and Forest officials commented that both were beaming throughout. What a contrast from Murillo’s first season. Back then, there was a strong sense he would outgrow Forest quickly and, along with Chelsea and Madrid, both Liverpool and Atletico Madrid were also looking closely at him.
Though the interest of those clubs will remain, Forest feel much more relaxed about it. The lure of Spain’s big two – Real Madrid and Barcelona – is traditionally difficult for South American players to resist, yet Forest feel they have no reason to envy other Premier League clubs. Their 1-0 win at Anfield last September was a key result in this respect, not to mention Forest being on course for their highest league finish for 30 years.
Murillo is a deeply religious man who is devoted to his family
Murillo has forged a close bond with Forest’s Portuguese speakers, including Danilo (right)
Forest feels like home for the Brazilian now and he has signed a new four-year deal
Murillo’s eyes shone with joy as he left the Anfield pitch and – as was the case for many players – the victory is thought to have convinced him he could achieve his ambitions at the City Ground.
Thanks to discussions with owner Evangelos Marinakis, Murillo is excited at where Forest are heading. Marinakis believes Forest can become a Champions League club and securing a new contract with Murillo underlines that.
Marinakis’ bombastic style may not be to everybody’s taste but this is no distant, corporate owner: he likes to be present for his players on match days, congratulating or consoling them in the tunnel, and explaining his plans. He has held several such discussions with Murillo and these have been vital.
Both Marinakis and Nuno use the word ‘family’ regularly and the players have responded, forging close bonds off the pitch that help them when times become tough on it.
Murillo is extremely close to back-up goalkeeper Carlos Miguel with the pair part of a wider Portuguese-speaking band that also includes Danilo, Morato and Jota Silva.
Fellow Brazilian Danilo is another close friend, even if he is usually beaten by Murillo when they play video games together. Former Forest defender Felipe, another Brazilian, helped Murillo greatly on and off the pitch when he moved to England, and the 35-year-old remains a mentor.
Paraguayan attacker Ramon Sosa and Argentine midfielder Nicolas Dominguez are also part of the six-strong South American contingent that is expected to grow in future windows.
Last summer Forest recruited Pedro Ferreira from Benfica to improve their scouting operation. Having spent 17 years with the Portuguese giants, Ferreira is a South American expert and should help Forest cut out the middleman when recruiting from the continent.
Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic have formed one of the best centre-back pairings in the league
Murillo was a rising star at Corinthians and Forest are committed to expanding their South American core
Real Madrid want Murillo to join their Galacticos – but Forest are making a strong case for him to stay in Nottingham
Many Portuguese clubs make money by finding youngsters in South America, exposing them to the European game for a couple of seasons before selling them for a huge profit. Forest knew they were on to a good thing with Murillo and recruited Ferreira a year later to ensure they could keep returning to the well.
Speak to people at Forest about Murillo and three words recur: polite, mature, respectful. While he spoke barely any English when he arrived, in 18 months Murillo has progressed so much that he is more comfortable than many of Forest’s overseas players in holding everyday conversations – though he remains too shy to speak English in front of a camera. Thankfully, there is no such timidity on the pitch.
The sky is the limit for Murillo. It is difficult to spot a weakness in his game and given his mentality, he should only get better. A religious man who is devoted to his family, Murillo has the sort of laser focus that distinguishes the best players and it is a matter of when, not if, he plays in the Champions League.
Those who would love to sign him never believed he would get there with Forest. Perhaps not even Murillo thought it possible just six months ago. Yet when Murillo inevitably makes his first appearance at Madrid’s Bernabeu, he is just as likely to be wearing the red of Forest as the white of the 15-times European champions.