Manchester United have expressed a desire to sign Everton ace Jarrad Branthwaite during the January transfer window, who has only made four appearances in the Premier League this season thus far.
Branthwaite, 22, spent the summer recovering from a groin operation and has been unable to regularly feature for the Toffees, who currently sit in 16th position in the Premier League.
Manchester United saw several offers for the Everton man rejected during the previous summer transfer window, with the club reluctant to sell one of their most important players for less than their valuation.
However, things could change during the January transfer window, according to the Daily Mail.
Why are United desperate to sign him?
Branthwaite has been a standout star for Everton over the last few seasons and has become a full England international, with his performances in the 2023/24 season warranting a place in Gareth Southgate’s provisional Euro 2024 squad.
Besides his impressive performances for his club, he is also only 22 years old, which would allow United to plan for a future with two incredibly young centre-backs, Leny Yoro and Jarrad Branthwaite, alongside more senior defenders Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs De Ligt.
How would he fit into the team?
New Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is expected to utilise a formation with three centre-backs, as he did with great success at his previous club, Sporting Lisbon.
With Matthijs De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez already being two crucial centre-backs for the club, the addition of Jarrad Branthwaite would set up a secure back three.
Furthermore, he is a very tall left-footed centre-back who also offers the versatility to play as a right-back if necessary, as he did for the Dutch club PSV in the 2022/23 season.
He has excellent statistics regarding aerial duels, winning an average of 2.82 per 90 minutes, landing him in the 92nd percentile compared with other Premier League defenders in the 2023/24 season.
Additionally, he lands in the 93rd percentile for clearances, making an average of 4.43 per 90 minutes played. Considering he managed these statistics whilst playing for an Everton side that struggled throughout the 2023/24 season, they present as very impressive.
How would Manchester United fund the deal?
United saw two bids previously rejected for Branthwaite during the summer transfer window, with their most recent one worth up to £50 million.
It was widely reported then that the Toffees were expecting a fee nearer to £70 million for the English defender, something Manchester United were not willing to facilitate, instead opting to sign Leny Yoro for £52 million from Lille, who has yet to feature in a competitive match for the Red Devils since breaking his foot in a pre-season friendly against Arsenal.
Questions may be raised about how the club could finance such an expensive signing mid-season if they could not convince Everton to sell him in the previous window, especially considering their current precarious position in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
It is difficult to tell which players may fall out of favour and potentially be offloaded during the January transfer window if any are at all; it is expected that for United to finance the transfer of Branthwaite, they would have to sell one or several players first.