Manchester United are interested in four different central defenders, as they look to find potential alternatives to Jarrad Branthwaite, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has told GIVEMESPORT.....CLICK HERE TO READ FULL ARTICLES
The north-west club had a bid in the region of £35 million rejected by Everton for Branthwaite, and are keen not to get drawn into a prolonged saga over the player. The Toffees are reportedly demanding in excess of £70 million for the 21-year-old England international, so United are preparing a shortlist of alternatives.
Sheth has revealed that four specific players have been identified to fill the central defensive void left by the departing Raphael Varane. The Sky Sports reporter has claimed that the club hold an interest in Leny Yoro, Marc Guehi, Matthijs De Ligt and Jean-Clair Todibo.
United Eye a Number of Defenders
Branthwaite may be deemed too pricey
While a deal for Branthwaite is not completely off the cards, the purported asking price may deter United from making a serious move for the player.
Instead, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sheth disclosed that the club’s hierarchy are monitoring a number of other potential acquisitions in this area:
“One of the ones that looks high on the list is a young player from Lille, Leny Yoro, but Real Madrid are interested in him as well, and Liverpool have been linked as well. Marc Guehi is another one. Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich is another one.
“The interesting one was Jean-Clair Todibo, because there’s been a long-term interest in him. But UEFA rules are kind of dictating that they might not be able to go ahead with a potential signing of Todibo, simply because INEOS are owners of Nice and they are obviously now minority investors in Manchester United as well, but (centre-back) is definitely an area that Manchester United will want to strengthen.”
Varane’s Old Trafford exit and Victor Lindelof’s potential departure to Fenerbahce means the Red Devils will need to sign at least one centre-back this summer, to ensure Erik ten Hag is not left with few senior options at his disposal in this area of the pitch. Ultimately, the desire is to find a long-term partner to Lisandro Martinez, hence the targeted players all being under the age of 24.
The situation surrounding Todibo looks complex, with reports emerging last week that the deal could be off. This could mean attention turns elsewhere, with INEOS said to be huge admirers of Marc Guehi, who manager Michael Beale said is a “rash on forwards”. The England defender has just two-years left on his deal at Palace, so could be available for a slightly reduced price – although the Telegraph report he will cost at least £65m this summer.
As Sheth alluded to, United are competing with Real Madrid for Yoro, so De Ligt may ultimately become one of the primary targets, having fallen in the pecking order at Bayern since the arrival of Eric Dier in January.
| Statistical Comparison 2023/24 (League Only) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stat | Todibo | Yoro | Guehi | De Ligt |
| Appearances | 30 | 32 | 25 | 22 |
| Tackles Per 90 | 1.97 | 1.21 | 1.24 | 0.97 |
| Interceptions Per 90 | 1.29 | 1.21 | 0.8 | 1.23 |
| Clearances Per 90 | 3.29 | 3.27 | 3.96 | 3.38 |
| Aerial Duels Won Per 90 | 1.32 | 1.84 | 1.29 | 2.66 |
United Also Looking at Forwards
Alongside strengthening the centre of the defence, INEOS are desperate to bring another striker to the club, to fill the void left by Antony Martial and to compete with the inconsistent but promising Rasmus Hojlund. Ten Hag’s men scored just 57 league goals last campaign, so acquiring increased offensive firepower in this window will be deemed essential.
Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee has been the most heavily linked, with a deal between the Italian club and United ‘now advancing’. Elsewhere, the English giants have been cited as a potential suitor for Brentford’s Ivan Toney, who could be available for as little as £40 million…CONTINUE READING>>
