Manchester United's main transfer target has told them exactly what they wanted to hear

With less than a week to go until the transfer window opens, reports linking Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite with a move to Manchester United are gathering pace.

United, as reported by the Manchester Evening News in April, are planning to bring in two centre-backs this summer. The club has already confirmed that Raphael Varane will leave when his contract expires at the end of this month and there is an expectation that one of Victor Lindelof or Harry Maguire will be sold.

Uncertainty also surrounds Jonny Evans' future at Old Trafford. He has been offered a new deal and talks between him and the club remain ongoing.

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Injury issues were a constant theme in United's centre-back department during the 2023/24 campaign, meaning they need to add fresh legs to that area of the squad this summer. Branthwaite is a leading target.

If drafted in from Everton this summer, there is a general expectation that he will act as Varane's successor in United's first-choice line-up and join forces with Lisandro Martinez in the heart of the back four. United arguably missed the latter more than anyone in the most recent campaign.

His presence in the left-sided centre-back berth was sorely missed, with his ball-playing capabilities key to United's style of play under Erik ten Hag. United signed the Argentine in July 2022 to add a left-footed presence to their centre-back options.

In Branthwaite, however, United could be about to add another. The 21-year-old, despite conflicting reports, is also left-footed, meaning the Reds could deploy a centre-back partnership of two left-footed players next term, with Branthwaite