Jarrad Branthwaite Scout Report: Should Manchester United meet Everton’s asking price?
Jarrad Branthwaite has emerged as a centre-back Manchester United are looking to sign this summer.

A new centre-back is the priority for United this summer and the club have earmarked Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite as one of the targets to strengthen Erik ten Hag’s defence.
Date of Birth: 27/06/2002 (22)
Position: Centre-Back
Strong Foot: Left
Height: 1.95m (6ft 4in)
Who is Jarrad Branthwaite?
At the start of the 2023-24 season, Branthwaite was, for most football fans, an unknown entity. Fast forward to the end of the 2023-24 campaign and he is now the subject of serious interest from Manchester United who are now making concrete moves to bring the Englishman to Old Trafford.
While Branthwaite is now considered amongst the best young defenders in world football, his journey to this point hasn’t been straightforward by any means. He started his professional career in League Two at Carlisle United where he made 14 first team appearances. In January 2020, Everton agreed a deal with Carlisle to bring Branthwaite to Goodison Park. The start to his time at Everton wasn’t easy though, as he didn’t get many opportunities in the first team and he even made appearances in the U23s. Having had limited game time in his first 12 months on Merseyside, Branthwaite joined Blackburn Rovers on loan in January 2021 for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. He made 10 appearances during his time at Ewood Park, gaining valuable experience playing in the Championship, which has a reputation for being one of Europe’s toughest leagues despite it being the second tier of English football.
Branthwaite returned to Everton for the 2021-22 season, but that unfortunately went similarly to his first 12 months at the club as he had limited game time.
The 2022-23 season was always going to be a crucial year for Branthwaite’s development and he needed to play. He made the brave choice to move to the Netherlands where he joined PSV Eindhoven on loan. Under the guidance of former Manchester United player Ruud van Nistelrooy, Branthwaite took his game to the next level and was a prominent figure in a side which finished 2nd in the Eredivisie and won the KNVB Beker. He made 27 Eredivisie appearances and gained valuable experience playing Champions League and Europa League football.
When he returned to Everton, he was no longer a youngster who maybe wasn’t ready to play regularly in the Premier League. He was now someone who Sean Dyche saw as capable of being a regular starter. He made 41 appearances in all competitions last season with 35 of those being in the Premier League, forming a formidable centre-back partnership with James Tarkowski.
Following a stellar season at Everton, Manchester United have identified Branthwaite as their priority defensive target this summer. United are said to have already agreed personal terms with the player and have now begun talks with Everton. United made an opening offer which was worth up to £43m, but that was rejected as the Toffees continue to hold out for £70m.
Strengths
In terms of what you want from a centre-back out of possession, Jarrad Branthwaite has it all.
One of Manchester United’s biggest issues last season was the fact that their defensive line often dropped off far too much, which meant that massive gaps would appear between the midfield and defence when United attempted to press the opposition high up the pitch. Jarrad Branthwaite could play an integral role in solving this issue next season. Branthwaite is very quick which obviously helps when playing a high-line, and he is also very good at defending the wide areas. In a high-press, the full-backs have to push forward to back-up the press, which means that when the opposition plays out of the press, there is typically space out wide. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that centre-backs are comfortable moving out wide and Branthwaite excels in such situations as he is quick and is a good 1v1 defender.
Manchester United have been linked to a number of centre-backs over the last few months, but very few are aerially dominant. Branthwaite, however, is very good aerially and this is one aspect of his game which sets him apart from other players which United have considered in their search for a new defender. Branthwaite won 68% of his aerial duels in the Premier League last season which ranks him amongst the very best Premier League defenders in this regard. He is an elite duel-winner, both in the air and on the ground.
Branthwaite is primarily left-footed but also very comfortable on his right-foot. Erik ten Hag has made it clear that he likes having a left-footed player on the left and a right-footed player on the right in central defence. Branthwaite has played predominantly as a left-sided centre-back for Everton but also has experience playing on the right-side. His ability to play on both sides of central defence would give Ten Hag tactical flexibility.
On the ball, Branthwaite is comfortable and is quite good at keeping possession, even under pressure. His best qualities are seen out of possession, but his game in possession is better than people give him credit for.
Weaknesses
As mentioned already, Branthwaite is technically secure, but he could improve his ability to progress the ball forward. At Everton, Branthwaite doesn’t really get the chance to show his on-ball qualities as Sean Dyche adopts a more direct approach, typically not even attempting to play out from the back. At PSV Eindhoven however, Branthwaite played in a more possession-based system and only averaged 3.61 progressive passes per 90 and 0.32 progressive carries per 90. There is certainly room for improvement in this regard. As already mentioned though, he is fairly solid technically and this is therefore something that could be improved with coaching.
Where would he fit in at Manchester United?
There have been some questions as to why Manchester United would want to spend such a sizable fee on a left-footed centre-back when the club are operating on a limited budget and already have Lisandro Martinez. Branthwaite is capable of playing as the right-sided centre-back but has typically looked more comfortable on the left side.
Because of the need for a right-sided centre-back, it’s hard to believe that United would be willing to spend potentially in excess of £50m on a player who they don’t see as capable of filling that role. Branthwaite is ambidextrous and the more he plays on the right, the more natural it will become to him.
There’s also a good chance United sign another, slightly cheaper, centre-back in addition to Branthwaite, who’s naturally more suited to play on the right-side of a centre-back pairing. That could mean that United rotate between three high-quality centre-backs throughout the season. Jean-Clair Todibo is said to be available for around £35m and after selling a few players, that could be a financially feasible deal for United.
Having Martinez, Branthwaite and Todibo as his three primary centre-back options would be great for Erik ten Hag. Someone like Harry Maguire could also play an important role if he stays, especially if United go far in Europe.
Verdict
One thing that is worth noting about Branthwaite is the experience he has at such a young age. He’s played in League Two and in the Championship, where the style of play is very physical and the games can be quite scrappy. He’s also played in the Eredivisie where the game is slower and less physical but where there is more emphasis on technical security. He now also has a season of Premier League football behind him. At Everton he played in a team that sits back and absorbs pressure, while at PSV Eindhoven he played in a team that took initiative and had more of the ball. You won’t find many players his age with such a diverse football education.
Branthwaite is a quality player and should United miss out on him now, it could be something they regret in the years to come. That being said though, they certainly should not overpay as there is an incredible amount of quality available on the centre-back market right now. A fair fee would probably be around £50m guaranteed plus £5m-£10m in add-ons which are difficult to achieve and dependent on Branthwaite winning silverware at United.
Should United miss out on Branthwaite, the club should move to sign Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna. He was in the headlines following his impressive performance for Italy against Albania, but he has been truly sensational throughout the season and would be an excellent understudy for Lisandro Martinez. He can also play left-back and has the technical qualities to play in midfield. He has attracted serious interest from Juventus and is said to be available for a fee in the region of €30m.
Even if United were to sign Calafiori, a right-sided centre-back would still be a priority. According to the ever-reliable David Ornstein of The Athletic, United is actively pursuing a deal to sign Leny Yoro from Lille, although it faces fierce competition from Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Paris Saint-Germain. If United could somehow sign both Branthwaite and Yoro, it would immediately elevate United to a team capable of challenging for the Premier League.
United also obviously have a long-standing interest in Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo. The Reds have also been linked to Matthijs de Ligt, Marc Guehi and Trevor Chalobah.
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