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Manchester United are considering Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos as a potential defensive signing.

M.E.N. Sport understands the 22-year-old Brazil international is receptive to moving to the Premier League after a move to Barcelona fell through and United have made tentative enquiries.

United explored the possibility of signing Marquinhos last year but were dissuaded by his sizeable transfer fee and spent £30million on Eric Bailly from Villarreal to reinforce their central defence.

Marquinhos, who joined PSG from Roma in 2013, has just two years left on his contract but recently revealed talks have begun over a renewal.

In recent years, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and Neymar have used United's pursuit to earn lavish new contracts with their clubs while other players' camps have fabricated United's interest to use them as a bargaining chip.

United's need to sign a defender in the summer has increased after Marcos Rojo became their third centre half to succumb to injury within a month.

Rojo, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling might have all played their last game of the season and Jose Mourinho suggested on Thursday 19-year-old Axel Tuanzebe could make his full debut before the end of the season.

Marquinhos has cemented himself as a first-teamer at PSG since David Luiz rejoined Chelsea, starting 22 of their 31 Ligue 1 games and forming a partnership with compatriot Thiago Silva.

However, the pair were critically mauled after PSG shipped six goals in their Champions League humiliation at Barcelona last month, with renowned French sports newspaper L'Equipe awarding the porous pair 2/10s in their ratings.

Marquinhos still remains one of the most highly regarded young centre halves on the continent and Mourinho is intent on signing a central defender to partner Eric Bailly. United scouted Benfica's Victor Lindelof and have sounded out 22-year-old Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez, who is keen on joining United.

The club remain admirers of boyhood United fan Raphael Varane, who still speaks glowingly about his former Real coach Mourinho, as well as Athletic Bilbao's coveted Aymeric Laporte.

United abandoned plans to sign Lindelof in the January transfer window due to the resurgence of Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo, while a dispute between Lindelof's former club Vasteras and Benfica about a sell-on fee further complicated matters.

Gimenez's contract expires next year but includes a release clause of £56million.

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