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With the 2023/24 season coming to a close, everyone is now looking at the excitement of the summer transfer window to regroup and fix the weak spots on the pitch ahead of next season.
Due to players like Raphael Varane leaving this summer, and the Red Devils facing injury issues with players like Victor Lindelof, the search for the future of the defence at Old Trafford is certainly on to be ready for the 2024/25 season.
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanting to build his team on the back of a strong core, there’s no wonder he’s looking to the upcoming talent making a name for themselves in the English Premier League.
And it seems that Manchester United have been given a huge boost in pursuit of one of their defensive transfer targets.
According to CaughtOffside, Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite is one step closer to joining Manchester United with Everton having identified a potential replacement for their club.
The publication claims that the Branthwaite deal is be even more likely to go through with Everton looking to pursue a deal for Davinson Sanchez, the Columbian centre-back currently playing in Turkiye for Galatasaray. The former Tottenham Hotspur defender is rumoured to be of interest to the likes of Everton, West Ham United, Fulham and Napoli with his asking price around £15-20m.
Everton will need to both raise funds, with their current financial situation quite precarious, while also bringing in someone who can still do a job at the back. A move for Sanchez makes sense as it means that they can sell Branthwaite to United for a big fee while having a proven English Premier League defender in at a much lower price.
In the case of Branthwaite, it is no surprise that the 21 year old is turning heads having had a brilliant season under Sean Dyche for the Toffees – giving top strikers a run for their money and keeping them at bay. Composed with the ball at his feet, giving some reassurance to playing from the back line as well as being great at winning the ball in the air, Branthwaite would be a great fit to any top tier club right now.
Whilst Everton are reported to be holding out for bids around the £80 million mark, reports claim that Manchester United are initially planning a bid of around £50-55 million, so negotiations will need to be done now behind the scenes to sort out the final deal.
Jarrad Branthwaite has long been a target for Manchester United, with the club’s initial interest in the player dating back to at least November.
