Manchester United have been looking to strengthen the defence for some time now and José Mourinho has already tried out various combinations in defence with the likes of Chris Smalling, Luke Shaw, Phil Jones, and Marcos Rojo be used at various stages in the campaign. It is clear that these players are yet to win the full trust of Mourinho. Only Eric Bailly seems to be the clear favourite at Old Trafford and as a result, United continue to be linked with several different across European football.
After having focused heavily on improving the forward line up the summer transfer window, the club are expected to strengthen the defence in the upcoming summer and one of the reported transfer targets was Paris St Germain defender Marquinhos.
Marquinhos has caught the attention of several English clubs in the past, but PSG were the club capable of signing him from Roma for a whopping €31.5 million when he was still in his teens. Since his move to the French capital, Marquinhos has certainly gone on to transform his potential into performances on the pitch. This has led to consistent rumours linking him with clubs even bigger than PSG.
Barcelona were rumoured to be a favourite destination for the player, although the Spanish club seems to have given up on the player after repeated advances in the last few years. PSG have been reluctant to sell Marquinhos, as the club see him as an integral part of their squad at least for the next decade. Slowly, however, the power seems to have shifted towards the player. Rumours about a departure from the French capital have started once again given that he has only just over two years left on his contract.
Marquinhos’ existing deal ends in the summer of June 2019 and this has led to speculation that clubs like United may be ready to pounce on the situation. The player, though, has categorically ended any transfer rumours by confirming that he wants to stay with PSG and as quoted by Metro Sport, he said:
“This is my fourth year at PSG. I have adapted to life here and speak French. Plus my family is feeling well in Paris.
“Things are going well and I would love to stay here. I hope to sign a renewal.
“It does not only depend on me, but it is looking good.”
It is highly likely that the player will be receiving a new contract offer in the next couple of months, and this new contract could potentially make him as one of the highest earners at the club.
As a young player, Marquinhos will be more worried about developing himself on the pitch and also winning trophies along the way. PSG probably represents a safe bet for the player, as he is settled at the Parc des Princes. Despite being 22, he has already won every domestic honour in France on more than one occasion.
