Manchester United transfer news
Manchester United New Signing: Carrick’s rebuild hinges on sorting United’s backline
Manchester United New Signing: Michael Carrick has pulled off a proper rescue job at Old Trafford. Champions League football is wrapped up, a permanent contract is signed, and the mood around the place has completely shifted. Job done? Hardly. The pitch work is sorted for now, but the squad itself is still built on shaky foundations. Look closely at the back four, especially through the middle, and the cracks are glaring. Harry Maguire looks destined for the exit door sooner or later, yet there isn’t a single elite central defender signed to replace him. It’s the biggest job sitting on the desk this summer.
1. Micky van de Ven: The dream option
Reports coming out of Spain suggest United have launched an internal plan dubbed ‘Operation Wall’ to fix this mess. Three names are on the shortlist. Micky van de Ven sits right at the top. The Spurs defender has frightening recovery speed and covers vast expanses of grass without sweating, precisely what Carrick needs if he wants to keep pushing a high press. Tottenham’s absolute nightmare of a season, scraping survival on the final day, gives United a massive opening. Van de Ven wants out. United want him. A £60m to £70m price tag is steep, certainly, but it’s far from impossible.
2. Murillo: The sensible gamble
Then there’s Murillo over at Nottingham Forest. The 23-year-old Brazilian put in 2,133 minutes across 25 league games last term, chipping in with a goal and averaging a solid 6.98 rating. He knows the division inside out by now. The Daily Mail has him high up on United’s radar, and the player himself hasn’t been shy about viewing Forest as a stepping stone. Forest want north of £60m for their man, though securing Champions League football gives United a proper trump card in talks.
3. Castello Lukeba: The long-term project
Castello Lukeba makes up the final leg of this triad. At 23, the French international has been quietly turning heads at RB Leipzig with some ridiculously cool-headed defending. He’s left-footed, sharp on the turn, and possesses a reported £75m release clause. Journalist Sacha Tavolieri flagged up that United had already spoken with his camp earlier. Whether those chats went anywhere recently is anyone’s guess, but the interest remains genuine.
Read: Man Utd keen on signing World Cup star for a bargain fee
Scorzo’s take: What needs to happen next?
Murillo feels like the move to make right now. Van de Ven is the blue-sky thinking, Lukeba is one for tomorrow, but Murillo brings immediate bite and fits the aggressive tempo Carrick demands. Snagging him around the £55m mark would be proper business. Delaying this to sort out the midfield first, pushing central defence business into late August, is a gamble United simply cannot afford.