The last stretch of the Premier League season has increased curiosity about summer transfers.
Manchester United will have a busy summer ahead of them as Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the new minority owner INEOS, wants to make changes to Erik ten Hag’s team.
Defence was one of the areas that needed to be improved, and the club’s top target is Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton.
The 21-year-old has had a fantastic season at Goodison Park, continuing to build off his productive loan stint at PSV Eindhoven in the previous year.
United and a number of other elite teams, such as Real Madrid and Tottenham, have expressed interest in signing Branthwaite. Everton is anticipated to request a sum above £60 million.
The young player can be taken by surprise by cross-town rivals City if United finds that the price tag proves to be a barrier.
The Daily Mail claims that City is keeping a close eye on the central Everton defender, who has made 25 appearances in the Premier League this year.
Branthwaite’s technical skill and self-assurance on the ball are believed to have impressed City, who have compared him to England star John Stones.
The former Carlisle player would contribute to Pep Guardiola’s team’s renewal as well as be considered a homegrown player.
Nevertheless, Guardiola’s team already has five experienced centre backs, as the triple winners spent £77 million on Josko Gvardiol in the summer.
Should Everton opt to sell, Branthwaite’s decision may be influenced by the fact that he would almost definitely be promised more minutes at Old Trafford than he would at the Etihad.
But before United can spend money on a high-profile acquisition like Branthwaite, they might have to let go of a few players this summer.
Even if he fits their ideal defensive profile, Old Trafford management are hesitant to make the same mistakes they did in the past and overpay.
Manchester United has determined who they want to sign in the summer, but the player’s salary demands might be a roadblock.
Given that INOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United’s new minority owners, are eager to improve Erik ten Hag’s team, it appears that the summer transfer window will be active for the team.
The United team is currently undergoing an audit, and the areas that require strengthening are the striker, full-back, and central defence.
This season, injuries haven’t been kind to Ten Hag, especially when it comes to the defence.
Due to injuries to players like Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, and others, United’s center-back options are severely limited this season.
INEOS wants to sign a new centre defence because Martinez, 26, has sustained foot and knee ailments this season, raising concerns about his longevity and the futures of Varane and Maguire.
Financial restrictions and the upcoming renovation of Old Trafford are said to be restricting Ratcliffe’s purchasing power; as a cost-effective alternative, United is reportedly pursuing Gleison Bremer, a defender for Juventus.
After joining the Serie A powerhouses from Torino in 2022, the Brazilian defender has made an impression thus far this season.
Bremer just agreed to a new contract with Juventus in late December of last year, but the i claims that it contains a release clause of €50 million, or roughly £43 million.
Even while the amount seems fair, Bremer’s salary expectations and competition from other possible suitors could prove to be obstacles.
The 26-year-old is anticipated to choose Real Madrid over United for his signature, and the presence of some of his Brazil colleagues may influence him to sign at the Bernabeu.
Although it’s unlikely that Chelsea and Tottenham would be able to match United’s and Real Madrid’s wage offers, they are still interested in Bremer.
Riccardo Calafiori, a star for Bologna, is reportedly one of the successors for Bremer that Juventus is reportedly already contemplating for the summer.
Jarrad Branthwaite, a young player for Everton, is also a target for United, though the Premier League team is rumoured to seek £75 million.
One of the main transfer targets for January has apparently been identified by both Manchester United and Manchester City, but there is a significant roadblock.
The transfer priorities of the two Manchester teams in January are different. City is searching for a defensive midfielder to replace Rodri, and Kalvin Phillips will probably be sold.
While FFP constraints may limit United’s options, they still need reinforcements all over the pitch.
However, given that Ruben Dias has missed time due to injury this season and John Stones is currently sidelined, it is said that City is also looking for defensive players.
Leny Yoro, an 18-year-old center-back for Lille who has been a standout player in Ligue 1 this season, is supposedly their main defensive target.
Le10 Sport, a French publication, reports that both City and United have contacted the 2021 Ligue 1 winners regarding a move for the youthful defender. The defender most recently turned in a standout performance in Lille’s 1-1 tie with PSG earlier this month.
Nevertheless, it’s said that Lille will not let him go for a nominal amount, viewing the child as an essential member of their team going forward.
Because of this, it is said that club president Olivier Letang has informed both City and United that Yoro will cost an incredible €90 million to sign during the next transfer window.
The report also states that Lille has expressed a “very strong” desire to extend the young defender’s contract, but they have acknowledged that it would be challenging to hold him to the team.
The defender is reportedly being watched by Liverpool and PSG as well. The French champions, who won the title last season, got the opportunity to watch the 18-year-old play against them earlier this month.
However, the €90 million asking price has been mentioned to each of those teams, so they might have to look elsewhere at least in January.
Last month, INEOS, led by British tycoon Sir Jim Ratcliffe, acquired a 25% share in United to complete a minority takeover of the team.
The club’s athletic department will be managed by INEOS, and Ratcliffe assured supporters that a comprehensive audit will be carried out, which will include a review of Erik ten Hag’s team.
With multiple places at Old Trafford highlighted for strengthening, the summer at Old Trafford appears to be packed with activity, even though it appears United has already made their first acquisition.
The 14-year-old attacker Silva Mexes from Ipswich Town is expected to join the Red Devils.
This is in line with a story from The Secret Scout, which states that Mexes decided to sign with United after being observed by a number of elite Premier League players.
He might start at United’s Carrington school this summer.
The only player to have scored a hat-trick in the Premier League, all three English Football League divisions, the FA Cup, the League Cup, and for his nation is Mexes’ father, former Premier League striker Robert Earnshaw.
Mexes already has a connection to United; Kieran McKenna, the first-team manager at Ipswich, was once Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s assistant at Old Trafford and was previously United’s U18s boss.
This season, he has welcomed Axel Tuanzebe and Brandon Williams, both United academy graduates, to Portman Road.
Mexes might continue the tradition of young players being developed by United.
At United, 249 academy grads have made their senior debuts, and over the past 85 years, every matchday lineup has had at least one homegrown player.
Omari Forson, who stepped in for Marcus Rashford during January’s 2-0 FA Cup victory against Wigan Athletic, became the most recent young talent to make his senior debut.
If Mexes succeeds in his manoeuvre and rises through the ranks, he will want to emulate Kobbie Mainoo’s remarkable ascent this season.
According to a recent report, Manchester United has made Victor Osimhen of Napoli their top target for the summer transfer season.
Harry Kane, a forward for Tottenham whose contract expires in the summer, has been strongly connected to Erik ten Hag’s team.
According to Simon Mullock of The Daily Mirror, Tottenham will demand £100 million for any deal this summer. Kane’s second suitor, Bayern Munich, is reportedly unwilling to engage in a bidding battle at that price.
That would undoubtedly give United hope that a deal can be reached, but in the event that Kane is unable to make it to Old Trafford, Ten Hag has suggested a number of other options the team can pursue.
Osimhen, a Nigerian striker who has been on fire for Napoli this season, is reportedly one of those options. With 21 goals in Serie A so far this season, he leads the division in goals scored. According to ESPN, he is worth at least €100 million, or £88.5m.
In an attempt to lead the Italian team to their first-ever European championship, he has also scored four goals in five Champions League games.
Though United is apparently willing to test owner Aurelio de Laurentiis’ resolve, Napoli is not known for selling players in their prime unless a transaction benefits the team.
Osimhen is Man Utd’s primary aim.
Football Insider reports that United passed up the chance to sign Wout Weghorst to a long-term contract at the end of the campaign and have now designated Osimhen as a major target.
The Dutchman has significantly improved Ten Hag’s team, giving United’s offence an additional dynamism through his hold-up play and off-the-ball movement.
However, since joining in January, he has not been a reliable supplier of goals, with two coming from cup or continental tournaments. Weghorst will start on the bench in United’s next two games against Everton and Brentford.
Osimhen might be the striker to step in after Weghorst’s loan expires, according to Football Insider. Ten Hag is reportedly searching for a long-term Cristiano Ronaldo substitute after the Portuguese star left the team by mutual consent in December.
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