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Tom OlverPublished Jan 15, 2024, 12:15pm|Updated Jan 15, 2024, 12:16pm
Manchester United are keeping close tabs on Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo as the club look to strengthen at centre-back.
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The Red Devils find themselves down in seventh place in the Premier League table after an inauspicious start to the campaign under Erik ten Hag and crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage last month.
However, the arrival of new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe – who was in the stands at Old Trafford for United’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham – has brought a renewed sense of hope to supporters who have been starved of success for the past decade.
Striving to return to their former glory, United spent in excess of £170million on Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund last summer and work is well underway identifying potential new recruits to add to Ten Hag’s ranks at the end of the season.
According to The Evening Standard, United will prioritise signing a centre-forward of the level of Bayern Munich and England star Harry Kane to support Hojlund, who has just two league goals since joining from Atalanta.
The report states that United are also keen to bring in a top-class No.8 in the middle of the park, as well as reinforcements at right-back and in central defence.
It’s claimed Branthwaite, 21, and Todibo, 24, have been added to United’s shortlist of possible targets at centre-back, though the club expect to face stiff competition for both players should they step up their interest.
Branthwaite is enjoying a breakout season at Everton after returning from a loan spell at PSV Eindhoven, catching the eye with a string of exceptional performances alongside James Tarkowski to put himself in the picture for a first England call-up.
Todibo, meanwhile, is regarded as one of the most complete centre-backs in Ligue 1 and has been a key factor in Nice conceding just 11 league goals this term – the fewest in the French top flight.
The Old Trafford giants recognise it will be nigh on impossible to sign their primary targets this winter and must first cash in on peripheral players in order to adhere to Premier League spending rules.
This month, Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek have completed loan moves to Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively, while is on the verge of a temporary switch to Sevilla.
Speaking ahead of United’s draw with Spurs, Ten Hag refused to rule out the possibility of new recruits being added to his squad before the January deadline.
‘You always have to consider such choices,’ the Dutchman told reporters.
‘Two very good loans, [Marcel] Sabitzer and Wout Weghorst really contributed to our success last year.
‘When such opportunities come up, we have to take them. At the same time, you have to analyse what we have on board, what is coming up.’
The United head coach added: ‘If you want to perform, you need hungry players.
‘We need personalities and players who are very hungry to fight for the badge and this club.
‘It is not about discipline, it is about normal behaviour. It is about what you can expect from a top professional.’
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