Man Utd monitoring two clubs’ potential relegation in hopes of sealing cut-price deal for ‘admired’ defenders

In the event that either Nottingham Forest or Tottenham Hotspur are relegated in the next four weeks, Manchester United may look to capitalise on the situation.According to The Telegraph, both Murillo and Micky van de Ven are ‘admired’ by United and would be seen as two options if INEOS looked to reinforce the backline this summer. Carrick says centre back “not an area of concern for me at this moment in time”#MUFC plan to run with same 5 CBs next season but De Ligt could force reappraisal if situation doesn’t improve & there’s Martinez’s history Murillo/Van de Ven admired ⬇️https://t.co/o5kaLYlpH0 — James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) April 27, 2026DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYUnited shortlist Murillo and Van de VenOnly one would be signed, and it would likely be dependent on the respective clubs’ top-flight status.Want more Stretty News coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustFollowing their 5-0 thumping of Sunderland and 4-1 triumph over Burnley, which saw all four goals come in the second half, Forest now sit 16th-placed and five points clear of the bottom three. A match-saving block from Murillo to end @NFFC v @ManCity! 😮 pic.twitter.com/UAmt1ma2oZ — Premier League (@premierleague) March 5, 2026Spurs, on the other hand, are in the depths of their survival quest. Despite claiming their first win of the calendar year against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon, they remain 18th and two points behind West Ham, who defeated Everton 2-1.Will United actually sign any defenders this summer?James Ducker’s report does state that United are satisfied with their defensive options and are comfortable continuing with their centre-halves throughout 2026/2027, but they would feel obliged to strengthen the unit if the side’s form takes a turn for the worse in the remaining five fixtures.Perhaps the biggest test, on paper, from now until the culmination of the term is Sunday’s clash at home to Liverpool, who moved up to fourth and level on points with United in the aftermath of their win over Crystal Palace and Aston Villa’s loss to Fulham.Lisandro Martinez has endured yet another injury-plagued season and Harry Maguire has also struggled to stay fit, while Matthijs de Ligt’s back problem has kept him out of action since November.