Manchester United scouts continue to “monitor” Everton pair – Man United News And Transfer News

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Manchester United are “continuing to monitor” Everton pair Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite ahead of potential moves this summer, according to the Manchester Evening News. 

Old Trafford officials are planning for a comprehensive overhaul at the end of the season, with the uncertain future of a number of players influencing the profile of target United will pursue this summer.

In central defence, the contracts of Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans will expire at the end of the season, while doubts persist over Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof. Lisandro Martinez is the only centre-back at the club under the age of 30 and a younger, more athletic defender will be targeted to play alongside him.

It’s a similar story in midfield, where Casemiro appears to have aged ten years in the space of ten months, following his heroics last year in his debut season in English football.

His midfield partner, Christian Eriksen, has firmly fallen down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag and was linked with a move to Galatasaray in January, while Sofyan Armabat is expected to return to Fiorentina at the end of his loan deal.

Despite his goal-scoring, Scott McTominay continues to look like a duck out of water in central midfield at the top level, and was the subject of approaches by West Ham and Fulham last year, with reports suggesting these clubs will likely renew their interest this summer.

Consequently, Luckhurst contends United will “bolster their midfield with at least one younger recruit.”

As such, it’s evident why Old Trafford scouts are being instructed to continue monitoring Branthwaite and Onana – a central defender and defensive midfielder – given these areas of concern in Ten Hag’s squad. The duo are also physically dominant, standing 6’5 and 6’3 respectively, while retaining good mobility – a particular source of weakness in United’s team this season, and an upgrade which could prove transformative.

Furthermore, Everton’s financial troubles – evidenced by the club’s points deduction earlier in the season for breaches in the Premier League’s profits and sustainability rules – were believed to mean the Merseyside club would be forced to sell this summer.

It makes sense, therefore, for United to target two Premier League-proven options, who suit the needs of the team, given they were thought to be available at potentially reduced fees. However, manager Sean Dyche rejected this idea, stating, “We don’t want to sell any good players, simple as that.” He contends there is “no problem” at his club and reveals Everton are “not in the business of trying to sell players”.

Both Branthwaite and Onana started for the Merseyside club on Saturday as they travelled to Old Trafford for the early kick-off. However, if the game constituted something of an audition for their prospective new employers, neither Onana nor Branthwaite impressed, with Dyche’s side producing a dismal performance in general.

Though United ran out 2-0 winners, courtesy of two penalties won by the unrelenting Alejandro Garnacho, they played poorly themselves, and a better team would likely have given Ten Hag’s men a much tougher afternoon than Dyche’s.

Despite their team’s poor display, Samuel Luckhurst (Manchester Evening News) reveals a source at Old Trafford indicates United still “like the duo”, and will continue to track their progress and potential availability as the club’s summer plans begin to take shape.

Given Everton’s financial situation may mean the club are not forced to sell either player and, as such, United will have to pay full price for players with question marks over them, Old Trafford officials should be looking elsewhere in the upcoming transfer window, given the plethora of needs in their first-team at present.