Manchester City opinion: Cityzens in for Murilo – Good move?

According to a report in MEN, Premier League champions Manchester City have identified Brazilian defender Murilo as the man who can replace the departing captain Vincent Kompany.

Pep Guardiola’s men are suggested to be in the hunt for a new centre-back during this transfer window after the departure of the Belgian stalwart (h/t MEN), who left the club after spending 11 glorious years. 

Harry Maguire, Kostas Manolas and Matthijs de Ligt have also been linked with a move to the Etihad (h/t MEN). Murilo is the new addition to this list of centre-backs the club could sign this summer.

The 22-year-old, who has played for the Brazil U-23, currently plays for Cruzeiro and has attracted interest from Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Monaco. He would cost around £15m. (h/t MEN)

As per the report though, City are at the top of the queue to sign the defender. Here’s why they should make and complete the move sooner rather than later:

Murilo’s quality would be a welcome addition

With the departure of Kompany, Manchester City are down to three centre-backs in their squad – John Stones, Aymeric Laporte and Nicolas Otamendi. 

While the former two are touted to be the future number one pairing in this team, the latter hasn’t really been one of the secure backup options. He has the tendency to be rash and volatile.

Hence, it makes sense for the club to look to sign another centre-back, initially as a backup to the potential Stones-Laporte partnership. 

The Brazilian is a calm presence at the back and has come up leaps and bounds in the last few months. At 22, he looks like a mature player, who knows what he is doing on the field.

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Conclusion

All in all, Pep Guardiola’s men shouldn’t hesitate in making a move for Murilo. In fact, they need to be quick at it, with other European clubs also on the prowl.