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Manchester United’s defence is currently facing a major crisis with four out of five senior centre-back options sidelined due to injuries.
Manager Erik ten Hag has been forced to rotate his defenders regularly, resulting in a lack of defensive stability and an increase in goals conceded.
This season, the Red Devils have conceded three or more goals in 14 matches across all competitions, and they also had the second-highest number of goals conceded in the Champions League group stages.
Several defenders are rumored to be on the move, with Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans’ contracts expiring in June, while Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are also linked with potential exits.
Defensive Revamp in the Works
New co-owners INEOS are looking to strengthen United’s defence by potentially adding more than one new defender to the squad. One name that has been consistently mentioned in transfer rumors is Jarrad Branthwaite from Everton.
The 21-year-old English defender is highly rated and with Everton under financial pressure to sell, United are seeking to secure a cut-price deal for Branthwaite.
Reports suggest that Everton may lower their asking price for Branthwaite from an earlier valuation of £100 million to a more reasonable range of £60-70 million, a deal that United is confident of agreeing upon.
Recent reports from Football Insider indicate that Everton is trying to convince Branthwaite to stay for one more season before allowing him to leave in 2025.
Everton’s Efforts to Retain Branthwaite
According to sources from Football Insider, “Everton are trying to persuade Jarrad Branthwaite to stay for one more season. The 21-year-old, who has made 38 appearances this season, would then be allowed to leave in the summer of 2025.”
Discussions between the player’s camp and Everton are expected to take place at the end of the current season.
While Everton may consider selling other players to raise funds, Branthwaite remains their most valuable asset, with interest from clubs like Manchester City and Real Madrid as well.
United sees Branthwaite as their top defensive target this summer, and negotiations for his transfer are expected to have more developments before the start of the summer transfer window.
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