Erik ten Hag and Manchester United could part ways with not just one, but a number of centre-backs during the summer transfer window. They knew that veteran Jonny Evans would be coming to the end of his contract, but Raphael Varane could leave as a free agent too after the Red Devils elected not to exercise their option to extend his deal by a further year. Elsewhere, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are both up for sale, should the club receive a sufficient offer.

This of course means we could see multiple additions in that area at Old Trafford, and one potential candidate is Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite. It's previously been reported that Branthwaite is a target for United, and Everton's financial problems could push them towards a sale. The Toffees have already been deducted ten points for breaking Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules, and have been charged with breaches in a separate accounting period too.

Man Utd launch late move for Branthwaite

Now, according to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, Manchester United want to sign Branthwaite before the January transfer window shuts on Thursday. Real Madrid and Chelsea have been showing an interest, but it's the 20-time Premier League champions who have taken the initiative.

Ten Hag is pushing for a deal that could wind up costing £40m when bonuses are included, but Everton manager Sean Dyche regards the defender as "untouchable" as he battles to keep them up. The plan at Goodison Park is to hold onto Branthwaite until at least the summer, but we'll see how significant the financial pressure proves to be.

"Magnificent" Branthwaite could be a steal

Branthwaite joined Everton from Carlisle in 2020 but it's only this season that he's broken into the team on Merseyside, having previously had loan spells at Blackburn and PSV. He no doubt impressed his parent club with his performances in the Netherlands, where he played 37 games and won the Dutch Cup.

At the international level, meanwhile, he was part of the England under-21 squad that won last summer's European Championships without conceding a single goal, starting a 2-0 group-stage win over Germany.

Tackles

38

36th

Percentage of dribblers tackled

80.6

7th

Blocks

21

=68th

Interceptions

32

5th

Clearances

86

8th

Branthwaite has started 18 out of 21 games for Everton this season and has shown, in the words of Alan Shearer, that he's "magnificent at the back". As you can see in the table above, he's won 80.6% of the tackles he's attempted, the seventh-best record in the league, and his exceptionally high volumes of clearances and interceptions point to smart positioning and dogged defending of his own penalty area.

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Time is running out in the January window, so it's unclear if United will be able to get this one done, but even if they have to wait until the summer, this could be a top signing. Factor in the potential for a reduced fee in light of what's going at Everton, and you could have yourself a steal.