Man Utd now weighing up move for £70m Brazilian star to replace Maguire
Manchester United are weighing up a move for Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo as they seek to replace Harry Maguire during the summer, according to The Daily Mail.
Maguire has been with the Red Devils since August 2019, but his future is uncertain, as his current contract expires at the end of June. No renewal talks are planned.
The Daily Mail now claim that United are considering Murillo as a target to succeed Maguire, who could walk away on a free transfer when the league season concludes.
Murillo penned a new long-term deal in January last year, but he has his sights on pursuing a bigger challenge away from The Tricky Trees during the next transfer window.
It is reported that he could push for a move unless Sean Dyche’s side qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League.
United’s prospects of landing the 23-year-old could increase too if they qualify for Europe’s elite club competition next season.
Murillo would be a good competitor to Martinez
Martinez has been United’s starter in the left central defensive position when fit, but the Argentine has had plenty of injury troubles.
The World Cup winner needs to be handled with extra caution. It may not matter this term with United out of other Cup competitions.
However, the scenario could be different next season with the possibility of longer Cup runs and qualification for European football.
United need to balance Martinez’s workload, and a solid competitor is required.
Luke Shaw may not be the answer for United’s problems. The Englishman lacks the positional sense to play in a traditional four-man defence.
Murillo would be an ideal solution instead. The left-footed centre-back has won 60 percent of his duels per league game for Forest this season.
He has also registered two tackles, four recoveries and five clearances per outing, and provides a set-piece threat with his strong physical presence.
His passing accuracy is slightly low at 84 percent, but it should only improve as United generally command more ball possession than Forest.
Back in early 2024, The Telegraph reported that Forest believe Murillo could eventually become a £70 million player, given his immense potential.
Murillo has since made vast progress alongside Nikola Milenkovic in the heart of Forest’s defence and almost helped them qualify for the Champions League last term.
Things have gone pear-shaped for Forest this campaign, with a third manager at the helm, but Murillo’s individual progress has been quite evident.
The Tricky Trees could hold out for a premium fee close to £70m for the highly-rated Brazilian star.
United should have a good chance of signing Murillo regardless of Champions League football, having recruited Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko last summer.
Stats from Sofascore.com
Article written by Sri Aswin .