Revealed: Man United's 2027 defensive wishlist headlined by £70m-rated Forest powerhouse

The era of patchwork fixes at Old Trafford is coming to an end. Manchester United are reportedly drawing up plans for a sweeping defensive overhaul in 2027, and one of the Premier League's most coveted centre-backs sits at the very top of their list.

Details: According to TEAMtalk, journalist Dean Jones has confirmed that INEOS intend to revolutionise United's defence in 2027 the same way they rebuilt the midfield this summer, when Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba arrived for a combined £155 million. As many as six defenders are on the radar: a new left-back is priority number one, with Barcelona's Alejandro Balde, Crystal Palace's Tyrick Mitchell and Bournemouth's Adrian Truffert all linked, plus RB Leipzig's David Raum as a cut-price option. In the heart of defence, Nottingham Forest's Murillo is firmly on the wishlist, though a deal would demand an offer beyond £70 million, and a January move looks highly improbable.

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The logic behind the plan is clear. United's back four this season has too often resembled the Erik ten Hag era, with Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw all rotated through the starting XI, and the numbers make uncomfortable reading: just five points from the opening five Premier League matches, United's joint-worst start to a campaign. Both Maguire and Martinez are out of contract next summer, though the club hold one-year options on both, while 31-year-old Shaw's deal also expires in 2027 and there is no indication he will stay. Dean Jones claims United have followed Murillo extensively and even explored a deal over the summer before parking it, and Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite is another long-term target on Carrick's recruitment list.

It's worth noting that Murillo only signed a new long-term contract in May 2026 that ties him to the City Ground until June 2030, putting Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis in complete control of any negotiations. Across the 2025/26 Premier League season the 24-year-old Brazilian averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 5.2 clearances per game with an 83.6% pass completion rate, and he even set a Premier League record this season with 17 clearances in a single match against Liverpool. Signed from Corinthians in August 2023, Murillo is now one of the division's most complete defenders, and Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are all circling too.

Reminder: Defensive emergency! Chelsea enter the race for Nottingham Forest rock Murillo.