Man Utd making 'concerted effort' to sign Ten Hag's 'primary summer target'

Tom Weber

• Updated: 13 Feb 2024 15:25 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United and Tottenham are making a 'concerted effort' to sign Jarrad Branthwaite, according to a report.

The Everton star has emerged as one of the Premier League's best defenders despite his tender years of just 21. A regular under Sean Dyche, it is only a matter of time before the centre-back becomes a full England international.

Coming off a good loan spell at PSV last season, Branthwaite was already a sought-after commodity in the previous summer. FootballTransfers exclusively revealed that Man Utd were very keen indeed on acquiring his services, but the Toffees made sure to block any potential exit.

With Branthwaite going from strength to strength ahead of the January window, we revealed that Tottenham had begun weighing up a move for him and Radu Dragusin, eventually signing the latter for €25 million. The likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea and Arsenal have since joined the 21-year-old's long list of admirers, but they are not the ones working to engineer a deal behind the scenes.

Man Utd's top target

According to the Daily Mail, Man Utd and Spurs are the sides 'making the most concerted effort at this stage' to prepare the ground for a summer move. Indeed, Branthwaite is considered Erik ten Hag's 'primary target' at Old Trafford.

The youngster's left-footedness makes him particularly attractive, but likely also particularly expensive. Everton won't settle for a cut-price deal, especially after getting him to sign a new long-term contract in October.

There has been talk of a transfer fee in the region of €100m and while that may be wishful thinking on Everton's part, it is not inconceivable that Branthwaite could break Harry Maguire's record of being the world's most expensive defender.

However, the above-mentioned report asserts that it is not a case of Man Utd having tunnel vision when it comes to the Toffees man. They have a host of potential options to fall back on should he prove unattainable.