Man United Want to sign £65m Jarrad Branthwaite alternative alongside Matthijs De Ligt this summer

Man United Want to sign £65m Jarrad Branthwaite alternative alongside Matthijs De Ligt this summer

According to Dharmesh Sheth of Sky Sports, Man United is considering four other central defenders as possible substitutes for Jarrad Branthwaite, as reported by GIVEMESPORT.

The north-west team is eager to avoid becoming involved in a protracted drama around Branthwaite after their offer of around £35 million was turned down by Everton.

Man United is putting together a shortlist of potential replacements for the 21-year-old England international, as the Toffees are reportedly asking for more than £70 million.

The team is reportedly interested in Leny Yoro, Marc Guehi, Matthijs De Ligt, and Jean-Clair Todibo, according to a Sky Sports writer.

United Eye a Number of Defenders
Branthwaite may be deemed too pricey
Jarrad Branthwaite

While a deal for Branthwaite is not completely off the cards, the purported asking price may deter United from making a serious move for the player.

Instead, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sheth disclosed that the club’s hierarchy are monitoring a number of other potential acquisitions in this area:

“One of the ones that looks high on the list is a young player from Lille, Leny Yoro, but Real Madrid are interested in him as well, and Liverpool have been linked as well. Marc Guehi is another one. Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich is another one.

“The interesting one was Jean-Clair Todibo, because there’s been a long-term interest in him.

“But UEFA rules are kind of dictating that they might not be able to go ahead with a potential signing of Todibo, simply because INEOS are owners of Nice and they are obviously now minority investors in Manchester United as well, but (centre-back) is definitely an area that Manchester United will want to strengthen.”

Varane’s Old Trafford exit and Victor Lindelof’s potential departure to Fenerbahce means the Red Devils will need to sign at least one centre-back this summer, to ensure Erik ten Hag is not left with few senior options at his disposal in this area of the pitch.

Ultimately, the desire is to find a long-term partner to Lisandro Martinez, hence the targeted players all being under the age of 24.

The situation surrounding Todibo looks complex, with reports emerging last week that the deal could be off. This could mean attention turns elsewhere, with INEOS said to be huge admirers of Marc Guehi, who manager Michael Beale said is a “rash on forwards”.

The England defender has just two-years left on his deal at Palace, so could be available for a slightly reduced price – although the Telegraph report he will cost at least £65m this summer.