Why Man Utd are keen to pursue £70m EPL star instead of ‘phenomenal’ free agent

Manchester United are in the market for a new centre-back, and their preference lies with Murillo rather than Marcos Senesi.The Red Devils currently have five centre-backs vying for two starting roles. However, Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt have been struggling for fitness all season, while the young Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven are still developing their game.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYHarry Maguire has recently signed a new contract, but the Englishman is 32. Thus, the club should start planning for a future without him.Man Utd won’t challenge Liverpool for Marcos SenesiNext summer, Man Utd’s priority is to revamp the midfield department. Jason Wilcox and Co. are also expected to recruit a right-footed left winger, and potentially a left-back.Nevertheless, the arrival of a new central defender should be an objective as well due to the current state of the department (as mentioned above).In recent weeks, Marcos Senesi emerged as a potential low-cost solution. The 28-year-old is leaving Bournemouth once his contract expires at the end of the season.The Argentine has been hailed for his ‘phenomenal’ displays at the Vitality and ability to advance the play.But according to The i Paper, Senesi’s most likely destination is Anfield Road.The source believes Liverpool are well ahead of Chelsea and Man Utd in the race for the departing Bournemouth star, who could take the torch from the ageing Virgil van Dijk.Nevertheless, this isn’t necessarily a blow to United, as the club never considered Senesi a priority target in the first place.As the report explains, the Red Devils prefer to sign a young defender, hence why they’re expected to launch an onslaught for Nottingham Forest defender Murillo.Why Man United are enticed by Nottingham Forest star MurilloMurillo is a 23-year-old Brazilian centre-half who rose through the ranks of Corinthians. In the summer of 23, Forest decided to gamble on the then-inexperienced youngster by paying £10 million to recruit his services.As the Guardian put it, the Reds hit the jackpot, as the Sao Paolo native has now flourished into an ‘amazing’ defender during his time.However, choosing Murillo over Senesi is a financially costly decision for Man Utd. It has been reported that Forest aren’t willing to sell their prized asset for anything less than £70 million.Therefore, it remains to be seen if Man Utd will be capable of striking an agreement with the City Ground outfit.In addition to being five years Senesi’s junior, Murillo also has a slightly different skill set. While the Brazilian is no slouch on the ball, he isn’t renowned for his distribution skills like the Argentine. Percentiles Passes cmp Fwd pass% Prog passes Poss won Def duel% Aerial duel% Prog carries Minutes Murillo  22.7 24.8 64.2 58.1 65.6 22.5 35.6 2297 Marcos Senesi 52.9 8.7 99.8 97.4 53.6 14.1 88.8 2970 (Stats via DataMB)On the other hand, Murillo offers a bit more aggression, as he relishes 1-v-1, and he often finds success when going against the striker.