{"id":45770,"date":"2026-04-12T20:38:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T00:38:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/12\/manchester-united-move-towards-signing-centre-back-for-70m-over-seneci\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T20:38:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T00:38:07","slug":"manchester-united-move-towards-signing-centre-back-for-70m-over-seneci","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/12\/manchester-united-move-towards-signing-centre-back-for-70m-over-seneci\/","title":{"rendered":"Manchester United move towards signing centre-back for \u00a370m over Seneci"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/12\/manchester-united-move-towards-signing-centre-back-for-70m-over-seneci\/#What_the_summer_transfer_window_will_bring_to_Man_United\" >What the summer transfer window will bring to Man United<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/12\/manchester-united-move-towards-signing-centre-back-for-70m-over-seneci\/#Comparison_of_Murillo_and_Senesi\" >Comparison of Murillo and Senesi<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/12\/manchester-united-move-towards-signing-centre-back-for-70m-over-seneci\/#INEOS_to_sign_new_Manchester_United_signing_Fernandes_for_100m_the_clubs_record_fee\" >INEOS to sign new Manchester United signing Fernandes for \u00a3100m, the club&#8217;s record fee<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>A great summer awaits at Manchester United. Not only do Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co need to appoint a new permanent manager, there is a lot to do in the transfer market.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p>Casemiro&#8217;s departure means United will need to sign a midfielder, and with the likes of Sandro Tonali and Elliott Anderson linked with signings, it promises to be an exciting few months.<\/p>\n<p>    That being said, who they can get may depend on how much cash they have in reserve. Tonali and Anderson are both valued at more than \u00a3100m.<\/p>\n<p>Signing any of these wouldn&#8217;t leave much room in the market for anything else.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-the-summer-transfer-window-has-in-store-for-man-united\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_the_summer_transfer_window_will_bring_to_Man_United\"><\/span>\n                        <strong>What the summer transfer window will bring to Man United<\/strong><br \/>\n               <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Signing a new midfielder is undoubtedly at the top of the agenda, but it&#8217;s not the only thing the Old Trafford squad are looking to strengthen.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, reports this weekend claimed that they had held initial talks to sign Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth. This would be a cost-effective deal as the Argentine is actually out of contract at the end of this season.<\/p>\n<p>    But Senesi is not the only centre-half in United&#8217;s sights.<\/p>\n<p>According to ESPN, the club have added several left-handed central defenders and have started checking out Murillo from Nottingham Forest.<\/p>\n<p>However, signing a new centre-back is not thought to be a priority after Harry Maguire recently signed a new contract with Manchester City.<\/p>\n<p>    He could also cost around \u00a370m, with previous reports indicating that an in-area bid is likely to be accepted by Forest officials.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-murillo-compares-to-senesi\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Comparison_of_Murillo_and_Senesi\"><\/span>\n                        <strong>Comparison of Murillo and Senesi<\/strong><br \/>\n               <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If Ratcliffe is looking to cut costs again this summer, signing Senesi would certainly make a lot of sense.<\/p>\n<p>The centre-back has been one of the best players in the Premier League this season and on a free transfer, it feels like a no-brainer.<\/p>\n<p>Still, he will be 29 by the time he moves from club to club in the summer. Of course, he&#8217;s not particularly old, but Murillo is definitely the better option.<\/p>\n<p>Last season, aged just 23, he was described as &#8220;one of the best players in the Premier League&#8221; by journalist Dean Jones, and despite Forest&#8217;s underperformance in 2025\/26, he still impressed.<\/p>\n<p>    At just 5ft 11, two inches taller than Lisandro Martinez, he may not be the world&#8217;s tallest centre-back, but he is a tenacious performer with the typical South American warrior mentality.<\/p>\n<p>He is a bulldog of a defender, strong in duels as well as a calm and collected presence at the back. Last season, he recorded 0.76 successful dribbles per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 3% of centre-backs in Europe&#8217;s top five leagues by this metric.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, defenders are not judged solely on their ability to carry the ball forward, but knowing they have a centre-half who can advance the ball well will bode well for United and their midfielders.<\/p>\n<p>In that respect, Senesi&#8217;s dribbling success rate is only 0.10 points out of 90, which is in the bottom 30%. That being said, his passing is very impressive. The Argentine has recorded 0.27 through balls per 90 minutes this season, ranking him in the best 1% of players in similar positions on the continent.<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-container\">\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"1\" cellspacing=\"1\" style=\"\" align=\"\" summary=\"\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th colspan=\"3\" scope=\"col\" style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Murillo vs Senesi: 2025\/26 Premier League<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Statistics (every 90 minutes)<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Murillo<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>year<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Pass accuracy<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>83%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>74%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>The tackle I made<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>1.5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>1.8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Take-up completed<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Successful take-up<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>64%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>60%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>won an aerial battle<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>2.5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Aerial duel success rate%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>51%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>48%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Won a ground duel<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>2.2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>2.8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Ground duel success rate%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>56%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>56%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>intercept<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>1.4<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>1.6<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>clean sheet<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>0.3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>Number of goals conceded<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>1.3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align:center\">\n<p>1.6<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<p>Senesi looks better defensively, winning more duels, albeit with a lower success rate than Murillo, but the latter is better when it comes to passing and dribbling.<\/p>\n<p>Senesi, who was transferred on a free transfer as a stopgap, starts to take on more meaning when you judge things by numbers. However, Murillo&#8217;s potential is huge and he has the potential to become a true Premier League stalwart.<\/p>\n<p>    He is still very young for a centre-back and is believed to still have the ability to become one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League.<\/p>\n<p>praised as a &#8220;monstrous&#8221; being <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RyanTaylorSport\/status\/1879286999179542890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1879286999179542890%7Ctwgr%5E644c5f7ee38accf4709d4d2308528c7667d3d822%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.footballfancast.com%2Fliverpool-now-doing-groundwork-murillo-transfer-premier-league%2F\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">By Ryan Taylor<\/a>the Forest defender has proven himself over a consistent period of time, perhaps more than the likes of Lenny Yolo, and certainly more than Aiden Haven.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside another beast in Maguire, this could be the birth of a great defensive partnership.<\/p>\n<div class=\"display-card  article article-card small  no-badge  active-content                      \" data-include-community-rating=\"false\" id=\"man-utd-line-up-in-club-record-morgan-rogers-deal-new-bruno-fernandes\" data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.footballfancastimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/bruno-fernandes-man-utd-west-ham-2.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=140&amp;h=98&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.footballfancastimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/bruno-fernandes-man-utd-west-ham-2.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=140&amp;h=98&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<p>                    <span data-field=\"label\" class=\"article-card-label\"><label>related<\/label><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-content regular article-block\">\n<h5 class=\"display-card-title \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"INEOS_to_sign_new_Manchester_United_signing_Fernandes_for_100m_the_clubs_record_fee\"><\/span>\n<p>\t\t\tINEOS to sign new Manchester United signing Fernandes for \u00a3100m, the club&#8217;s record fee<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"display-card-excerpt\">New Bruno Fernandes could be heading to Manchester United.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A great summer awaits at Manchester United. Not only do Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co need to appoint a new permanent manager, there is a lot to do in the transfer market. Casemiro&#8217;s departure means United will need to sign a midfielder, and with the likes of Sandro Tonali and Elliott Anderson linked with signings, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45771,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[2729,2356,40,106,372,9106,380,107],"class_list":{"0":"post-45770","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-70m","9":"tag-centreback","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-manchester","12":"tag-move","13":"tag-seneci","14":"tag-signing","15":"tag-united"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45770"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45770\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}