Liverpool identify Van Dijk successor with 47.1% aerial duel win rate – report
Murillo has been touted as a potential long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool.
Pete O’Rourke at Football Insider reports that both Chelsea and Liverpool have joined the race to sign the Nottingham Forest defender next year.
However, the Tricky Trees are not open to the prospect of striking a deal in the upcoming January transfer window.
Could Murillo replace Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool?
We don’t mind the look of Murillo as a more experienced operator in the heart of our defence. Particularly given the fact that Jeremy Jacquet (21) is set to inherit the title of Liverpool’s most senior centre-back should all three of Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk and Ronald Araujo depart at the end of 2026/27.
However, we have to bring into serious question the prospect of the Nottingham Forest star being considered a long-term successor to our venerated No.4.
Put simply, we’re not confident the Brazilian has the ceiling to measure up against Virgil in the long run.
| Murillo’s stats (per 90) | Virgil van Dijk’s stats (per 90) |
| 12.05 line-breaking passes (70th percentile) | 16.2 line-breaking passes (89th percentile) |
| 1 chance created (94th percentile) | 0.2 chances created (39th percentile) |
| 4.02 accurate long balls (78th percentile) | 6.2 accurate long balls (97th percentile) |
| 47.1% duels won percentage (16th percentile) | 74.1% duels won percentage (92nd percentile) |
| 52.9% aerial duels won percentage (34th percentile) | 71.4% aerial duels won percentage (80th percentile) |
| 0.6 dribbled past (28th percentile) |
* Murillo and Virgil van Dijk’s stats in the 2026/27 Premier League season (FotMob)
To be clear: we can see aspects of Murillo’s game that Liverpool would find appealing. But the 24-year-old feels like more of a squad option than an out-and-out starter when compared to our current defensive pairing.
Certainly, there will surely be at least some amount of concern expressed during recruitment team meetings over Murillo’s apparent ineffectiveness in the air and against the ball compared to our current first-choice options.
It’s harsh but fair
Even at 35 years of age, it feels a little harsh to compare still-developing centre-halves to arguably the greatest living centre-back in Premier League history. But, like it or lump it, this is the standard; this is the bar everyone must be confident you’ll reach.
While we don’t necessarily see Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven as a bona fide Virgil van Dijk successor, at least the Dutchman feels closer to the minimum bar of quality Liverpool would be looking for. Likewise, we’d sooner see the club commit a vast amount of funds to a footballer with a clearly high ceiling, like Brighton’s Luka Vuskovic.
Either way, if Liverpool are going to push for an experienced operator this summer (depending on what happens with Van Dijk and Araujo), we just don’t think Murillo will be the name right at the top of the shortlist.
