Manchester United are reportedly ‘pushing’ hard to agree on an early deal to sign Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite this summer, as per Football Insider.
The Red Devils have struggled with their leaky-defence this campaign. Erik ten Hag has insisted that the Red Devils’ poor defensive displays are largely due to injury problems with the Dutch boss currently left with Harry Maguire as the only fit centre-back option.
So, it has widely been suggested that Man Utd are planning to revamp their ageing defence in the upcoming window. Numerous centre-backs have been linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent times with Antonio Silva and Jean-Clair Todibo being among them, but Branthwaite is on their radar as well.
According to the report by Football Insider, Man Utd are looking to overhaul their defensive department and have identified Branthwaite as the ‘top target’.
The report further claims that Man Utd feel Branthwaite will be the ‘long-term answer’ to their defensive issues so they are ‘pushing’ hard to sign him early in the upcoming window.
Branthwaite to Man Utd
It has been suggested that Everton would be forced to cash-in on some of their star men this summer to balance their books having been found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
However, it has been reported that the Toffees won’t let their star man leave for cheap and want £75m. So, the Red Devils will have to splash a huge fee to lure Branthwaite away from Goodison Park this summer.
After enjoying a promising loan stint at PSV Eindhoven last term, Branthwaite has showcased glimpses of his qualities in the Premier League for Everton this season.
The youngster is quick, strong, good in the air, comfortable playing out from the back, can play line-breaking passes, is efficient in defensive contributions and also reads the game well.
So, he could be a shrewd signing for Man Utd to strengthen their backline if they purchase him. However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the record Premier League champions can eventually manage to secure his signature in the upcoming window.
