Murillo: Where Man United stand in race for “one of the PL’s best defenders” | OneFootball

Manchester United’s attention will be grabbed by the latest revelations surrounding Nottingham Forest’s Murillo.

United are chasing the Brazilian, whose brilliance at Forest prompted Premier League legend Joe Cole to dub him the next Thiago Silva.

“Brilliantly Brazilian. There’s been a lineage of Brazilian centre-halves like Thiago Silva. Again, what a find, what a player he’s [Murillo] been. You can see, from talking to Forest fans, they absolutely love him,” said Cole of the 23‑year‑old.

Meanwhile, as INEOS are plotting how to bring Silva 2.0 to M16 this summer, Teamtalk has painted a clearer picture of where United stand in the race.

Big summer ahead for Murillo

Unfortunately for the Red Devils, they face a “strong and serious” battle for the Samba star.

While the report asserts:

“Sources close to the 23‑year‑old have confirmed that his camp are actively assessing potential landing spots.” They add: “The expectation is growing that this summer will be the window he finally makes the jump to a top‑six club.”

It goes on to claim:

“We can reveal that Chelsea and Liverpool have done more groundwork on Murillo than any other club over the past 12 months.”

At the same time, United’s position will “depend heavily on how their current centre‑half groups shake out over the coming weeks.”

Taken together, these revelations hardly boost confidence in United’s chances of winning this transfer race.

United’s defence: Where it stands now

Even so, with Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro’s pathways considered, Harry Maguire expected to sign a new deal, and Lisandro Martínez plus Matthijs de Ligt already in place, United’s defensive depth looks decent.

Yet the reality is that United never truly replaced Victor Lindelof or Jonny Evans, who left last summer. With Maguire’s eventual departure merely postponed, moving for Murillo makes perfect sense.

Murillo too good to ignore

Indeed, the Forest powerhouse represents one of those market opportunities simply too good to ignore.

Beyond Martínez, Murillo could give United another aggressive left‑footed centre‑back with composure, dribbling ability, and the drive to step into midfield. His arrival would ease Licha’s workload and elevate United’s back line.

Featured image Clive Mason via Getty Images

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