A Right Move? – Manchester United To Make Marquinhos The Most Expensive Defender Of All Time
Manchester United lost their shot at Champions League football for next season as they finished outside the top-4 places in the points table this season. They do have their final chance when they face Ajax in the Europa League final and Jose Mourinho looks awfully confident as he is already looking to sign his transfer targets.
According to reports from Spanish news outfit Sport, the Red Devils are set to make a sensational bid of £60m for the services of PSG star Marquinhos this summer. The Portuguese manager has also been looking at the likes of Jose Gimenez, Pepe, Michael Keane and Victor Lindelof for a move this summer but has now decided to splash the cash on the Brazilian defender from PSG.
Capable of playing as a full-back as well, Marquinhos is a ball-playing centre-back who loves to have the ball at his feet. Being a Brazilian, his dribbling abilities and skills on the ball are hardly surprising but what makes him a top class defender is his concentration and ability to stay a step ahead of the game.
He is strong and is always ready to put his body on the line. Mourinho seems ready to make him the most expensive defender in the world, after David Luiz and John Stones broke the records in the last few transfer windows. With 4 goals this season in all competitions, Marquinhos has also shown his quality in front of goal and at just 23, he fits the age profile of the new Manchester United that Mourinho wants to build.
The likes of Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Eric Bailly and Luke Shaw are also in a similar phase of their careers and if this turns out to be the core of the Manchester United squad for years to come, Mourinho is definitely planning to dominate Europe for a long time.
Eric Bailly, the summer buy for Mourinho has established himself well in the first team this season and is expected to be the first choice next season as well. But neither Phil Jones nor Chris Smalling has filled the manager with expectations and it does not come as a surprise that Mourinho is desperate to spend £60m on a defender.
The Red Devils have suffered in an attacking sense but they have been comfortable at the back only because of the organisation that Mourinho has taught them in the training ground. So they will need a genuine centre-back who can take care of the back line if his side are to break the shackles and go for the kill in every game. Marquinhos looks like the perfect man from all corners, to help Manchester United back to their best.