Man United ‘Will Focus on signing £60m Star’ if Branthwaite Move Fails

Man United ‘Will Focus on signing £60m Star’ if Branthwaite Move Fails

Manchester United have earmarked Marc Guehi as a fall-back option if Jarrad Branthwaite does not head to Old Trafford in the summer

Manchester United will turn their attentions towards attempting to sign Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi if it becomes clear that it will be too difficult to convince Everton to sanction Jarrad Branthwaite’s move to Old Trafford when the transfer window reopens in the coming weeks.

The Red Devils ended the season on a high note as they recorded a 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, allowing boss Erik ten Hag to pick up his second trophy since his reign got underway, and glory under the Wembley arch also sealed qualification for the Europa League.

Despite picking up silverware just three months after completing his purchase of a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United, INEOS chief executive Sir Jim Ratcliffe is ready to spend money on reinforcements as finishing eighth in the Premier League has led to the billionaire seeking improvements on the pitch.

England international is behind Branthwaite in recruitment priorities
Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi giving one of his teammates the thumbs up.

Manchester United will look to land Guehi if they discover it will be impossible to recruit Branthwaite during the summer transfer window, according to GMS sources, but they are aware that they will only be able to hold successful negotiations with Crystal Palace if they are willing to pay a lucrative fee.

It is understood that the central defender – who has been limited to 29 appearances during an injury-hit season – is valued by his current employers at £60million, which is at the very top of what the Red Devils have budgeted to spend to bolster their backline ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

GMS sources have been informed that Manchester United would look to reach a compromise with Crystal Palace if they up the ante in their pursuit of Guehi as they would prefer to save cash for other reinforcements, but Branthwaite has remained their priority target after a host of impressive performances for Everton