Manchester United threatening to shift focus to Marc Guehi after Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite stance | OneFootball

Manchester United may decide to focus on signing an alternative defensive target after their pursuit of Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite took a turn for the worse.

As mentioned by The Peoples Person, United submitted a bid of £45 million for Branthwaite. The club had reportedly agreed on personal terms with the player.

The bid was unsuccessful, with Everton reportedly claiming that Branthwaite is valued at around the same price as the likes of Harry Maguire, Josko Gvardiol, and Wesley Fofana, all of whom were sold for over £75 million; significantly higher than United’s opening bid.

Although the report claimed that United would consider submitting an improved bid, it now appears as if United could abandon their pursuit of Branthwaite altogether.

The Mirror reported that United may walk away from negotiations with Everton, claiming that “Branthwaite ticks every box for both INEOS and Erik ten Hag but they are refusing to be held to ransom.”

The article also claimed that United could end up pursuing another Premier League candidate, namely Crystal Palace and England centre-back Marc Guehi.

Guehi enjoyed an impressive season at Palace, proving to have both superb physicality and quality on the ball. Winning 67% of his ground duels and 60% of his total duels, Guehi made 1.1 tackles per game as well as 4.8 ball recoveries on average.

With a surprising 64% dribbling, particularly for a defender, the England international completed 87% of his passes throughout his Premier League campaign. (Sofascore)

With such highly respectable statistics, it came as little surprise to see Guehi secure his spot in England’s Euro 2024 squad, replacing Maguire who failed to recover from his injury.

Last month, it was reported that Guehi is open to leaving Palace this summer. The report also suggested that he would be likely to stay in England, emboldening the links between himself and United.

In addition to his strong performances, it’s also important to note that Guehi has proven himself in the Premier League, making him a safe alternative to Branthwaite unlike other defensive talents such as Jean-Clair Todibo and Leny Yoro who are still untested in the English game.

Although Erik ten Hag may have been given a £140 million transfer budget this summer, the high price tag that certain players such as Branthwaite would command could limit the club’s manoeuvrability in the transfer window.

Ultimately, it could be the final transfer fee that determines whether United goes for Branthwaite or Guehi or even perhaps neither.

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