Two out, two in: Journo names the highly-rated duo on United’s shortlist to bolster depleted position

It’s no secret that a centre-back will be atop Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s transfer shortlist ahead of his first window as Manchester United co-owner.

Central defence has quickly become the Red Devils’ most depleted position this season following a seemingly never-ending and debilitating injury crisis.

Currently, five of the six senior centre-halves in the squad are sidelined with fitness complaints, which has led to Casemiro having to deputise alongside Harry Maguire in the backline for the past three matches.

Bolstering the position is crucial this summer, and even more so because both Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane will be departing in June when their contracts expire, leaving Erik ten Hag – assuming he’s still in charge – even shorter on options for the 2024/2025 campaign.

Victor Lindelof also faces an uncertain future given that he has just one season remaining on his deal. The club opted to activate his one-year extension back in December 2023, giving them full control over his future.

United target two in-form centre-halves

Manchester Evening News claims that Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton and Edmond Tapsoba rank high in the United hierarchy’s estimations following highly impressive seasons for their respective clubs.

Tapsoba has played a vital role in the German side’s scintillating term, in which they’ve already claimed their first-ever Bundesliga title and could complete a treble after booking their spot in the DFB Pokal final and Europa League semi-finals. They are still, remarkably, yet to lose a game in 2023/2024.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Branthwaite has endured an entirely different battle with the Toffees as they faced yet another survival quest in the Premier League.

They’re now confirmed to be safe from the drop and are on the back of an emphatic derby win over Liverpool at Goodison Park, one that was 14 years in the making. Branthwaite played a pivotal role in the 2-0 win by opening the scoring with a scrappy goal in the 27th minute while ensuring that the away side’s prolific attackers didn’t get a sniff in front of Jordan Pickford’s net.