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Manchester United defensive target Jarrad Branthwaite is said to be ready to leave Everton and the Toffees have already identified his replacement – former United player Tenden Mengi.
The defence once again massively failed to live up to expectations in yet another abysmal showing to add to the collection last night against Crystal Palace. The loss was the club’s 13th in the league and is a record in the Premier League era.
With tough looking fixtures to come against Arsenal, Newcastle and Brighton, things could still get a lot worse for Erik ten Hag’s men.
There are many holes for new owners INEOS to try and fix in the summer, but defence is certainly one of them as numerous reports have linked the club to players such as Jean-Clair Todibo and Ronaldo Araujo. However, the name most frequently linked to Old Trafford is that of Jarrad Branthwaite.
The young Everton defender, described as a “Rolls-Royce” by his goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, has enjoyed a breakthrough year, playing a pivotal role in Everton’s Premier League survival this season at only 21 years old.
Football Transfers has claimed that not only are United interested in signing the player but he is also keen on a move to further his career.
“Football Transfers understands that Branthwaite is pushing to leave Everton in the summer and the Merseyside club are looking at alternatives. Everton have joined Crystal Palace in closely monitoring the developments surrounding Luton Town’s Tenden Mengi ahead of the summer transfer window.”
Mengi is a graduate of the United academy and departed this summer to pursue first team action. He has done a wonderful job playing regularly for Luton and left many United fans pondering if he would have contributed more than the club’s current batch of defenders have served up this season.
As a result, “sources close to the situation inform us that Mengi is likely to depart Luton Town at the conclusion of the current season. The young defender has also attracted interest from abroad, with Bayer Leverkusen keeping a keen eye on him since the January transfer window when the Bundesliga champions were anticipating the departure of Jonathan Tah.”
It seems that Everton have been bracing for Branthwaite’s departure for a while as they have also been linked to Northern Ireland international Dan Ballard to replace the Englishman.
It has even been reported that United would be tempted to offer Harry Maguire as bait to attract the Goodison Park outfit into settling for a cheaper price.
Moreover, due to the club’s financial woes, Everton are also thought to be interested in a tying up a deal early for Branthwaite, which could also benefit United in case his price shoots up in the Euros, should he receive minutes for the Three Lions.
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