Manchester United are reportedly battling with Chelsea over a deal to sign Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The Red Devils currently have Lisandro Martínez and Ayden Heaven as options to deploy in the left side of the centre-back position, while Harry Maguire can play in this position if needed.
However, Martínez has struggled with fitness problems in recent years and has just returned to action after recovering from a serious knee problem.
Heaven, meanwhile, showed glimpses of his qualities under former manager Ruben Amorim but has struggled to play regularly under Michael Carrick thus far.
On the other hand, Maguire has entered the final few months of his current contract and is looking highly likely to leave as a free agent at the end of this season.
Now, Fichajes state that Man Utd have identified Murillo as the ‘top priority’ option to replace Maguire and could make a concrete approach to secure his services in the summer.
However, the 20-time English champions will have to overcome stiff competition, as Chelsea are also keen on purchasing him following Benoit Badiashile’s struggles to flourish in the Premier League.
Battle
With the player’s existing deal set to run until 2029, Nottingham Forest are in a strong position to demand a huge fee if they are forced to sell Murillo, valued at around £48m by Transfermarkt.
However, Chelsea and Man Utd are hoping that they will be able to sign Murillo in a cut-price deal if Sean Dyche’s side fail to keep hold of their top-flight status.
With Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo both out injured, and Wesley Fofana repeatedly struggling with fitness issues, Chelsea could certainly benefit from reinforcing their defensive department.
Murillo is a left-footed centre-back and has proven his worth in the Premier League in recent years. The 23-year-old is still very young and isn’t a finished article yet.
Therefore, he would be a great coup for Man Utd or Chelsea should either club purchase him. However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the Old Trafford club or the West London club eventually make a concrete approach to secure his services in the upcoming summer transfer window.
