Manchester United 'increasingly confident of signing Marquinhos'

Manchester United have reportedly stepped up their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Marquinhos as they look to push through a £50m summer transfer.

The 22-year-old, who was supposedly on the brink of joining Barcelona last year, is said to be United boss Jose Mourinho's top defensive target.

Marquinhos's agent Giuliano Bertolucci recently revealed that negotiations with the Parisians over a new deal have stalled, meaning that he has just two years left to run on his current terms.

According to The Mirror, PSG are still keen to keep the Brazilian at the Parc des Prices, but United are hopeful that the player will help to push through a big-money switch.

Marquinhos joined the French giants from Roma in 2013 for a fee of around £26m.