Manchester United should pursue the services of Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite during this summer’s transfer window.
The Red Devils have had plenty of injury troubles in the central defensive department this term. Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof have all been on the sidelines.
The lack of a consistent pairing in the heart of the defence has partly contributed to United’s difficult season and manager Erik ten Hag will want more stability ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
A new centre-back is expected to be prioritised this summer with Varane possibly leaving on a free transfer. We believe the club should secure the signature of Branthwaite from the Toffees.
Branthwaite would be an ideal centre-back signing
The 21-year-old had a productive spell on loan with PSV Eindhoven last season and he has now become a mainstay in the Toffees backline with several stand-out performances.
Branthwaite has been brilliant defensively for the Merseyside outfit with 5.4 duels and 2.1 tackles won per league game alongside 4.5 clearances and 6.2 ball recoveries.
He has also kept seven clean sheets in the top-flight. His passing has not been up to the mark (79%) but he was much better in a possession based side in PSV last term (87%).
The €40 million-rated star should only get better with experience. He generally plays at left centre-back being left-footed, but is also comfortable in the right centre-back role.
Hence, there is a possibility that Branthwaite and Martinez could line up together. He could also be used in rotation with the latter, who has had an injury-plagued career at United so far.
Stats from Sofascore.com
