Manchester United eye £55 million move for Premier League defender - Reports
Manchester United are reportedly readying a bid to sign Jarrad Branthwaite from Everton. The Red Devils have made the Englishman their number-one target for the summer following Raphael Varane's announcement to leave the club at the end of the season.
As per a report in the Daily Mail, Manchester United are in the market for a centre-back this summer and see the Everton star as the ideal fit. The scouts have been impressed with the 21-year-old and the English giants are willing to splash £55 million to sign him.
Branthwaite has been doing well for Everton under Sean Dyche and has caught the eye of several top clubs in England. Sir Jim Ratcliffe's plans to overhaul the squad at Old Trafford have been the Red Devils step up their interest in Braithwaite and they are now set to launch a move for the defender.
Varane has announced that he will be leaving Manchester United this summer, prompting the Everton star to jump to the top of Erik ten Hag's wishlist.
Apart from Braithwaite, the Red Devils are also eyeing a free transfer of Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo.
Manchester United told to aim higher than Jarrad Branthwaite by former player
Jarrad Branthwaite has been in top form this season and several English clubs believe he is going to be a star in the future.
However, former Manchester United defender Jonathan Spector believes the Red Devils need to aim higher and sign a leader like Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich.
"I haven't seen a lot of Jarrad, but in the games I've seen him play, he's done well. Yeah and no disrespect to Jarrad as he's a very good player, but I do think for a club like United they should be competing to bring in the best centre backs in the world and I don't think many players would put him in that category. De Ligt and those players are the type of players that they should be competing for and trying to bring in. The fact that they're not playing Champions League football is not going to help the case," he told Metro in April this year.
"Jarrad is only 21, so is he the player that is going to come in and fix that defence? Especially when I would view one of the issues as a lack of consistent leadership within the back line and the need to fill that, so I'm sure there are some other targets on there. Is Jarrad an up-and-coming, fantastic central defender? Yes, but at the same time I think they need a bit more of a finished product right now with a bit more of the leadership qualities. I think profile-wise, a player who is established and proven for a few years at the highest levels that has a bit more of the leadership qualities," Spector added.
Matthijs de Ligt has also been linked with Manchester United, with the Dutchman having lost his starting place under Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich.