Manchester United reunion mooted as Erik ten Hag 'identifies' alternative to Branthwaite

Manchester United director Erik the Sorcerer It appears he is considering bringing in one of his former defensive protégés as an alternative to his number one target Jarrad Branthwaite.

The Red Devils have identified the Everton man as their top priority for a summer defensive reinforcement, but they are currently some way off meeting the Toffees' massive price demands.

Ten Hag's men reportedly put forward an opening bid of £35m, which could have risen to as much as £43m with performance-related add-ons, but Everton immediately laughed off their approach.

The Toffees are understood to believe that Branthwaite should charge a similar fee to the Harry Maguire And Josko Gvardiolmeaning it could take up to £80million to pry him away from Goodison Park.

The Red Devils have not completely abandoned their interest in Branthwaite, but with them only working with a starting budget of around £50m for the summer window, a transfer is highly unlikely to materialise.

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According to talkSPORTthe Red Devils remain attentive to the situation of Bayern MunichMatthijs de Ligt, whose development Ten Hag oversaw during his successful spell at Ajax.

The Dutch defender was the cornerstone of Amsterdam's 2018-19 side that reached the Champions League semi-finals, before being sold to Italian giants Juventus in a big-money deal.

De Ligt has since represented Bayern Munich for the past two seasons, but has enjoyed mixed fortunes at the Allianz Arena, where he has five goals and two assists in 73 appearances in all tournaments.

The 24-year-old hasn't always been the favorite of Thomas Tucheland it is not clear if the arrival of the former central defender Vincent Kompany could lead to a turnaround for him in 2024-2025.

Regardless, Man United have reportedly been told that a deal to bring De Ligt to the Theatre of Dreams is “realistic”, and the defender himself is eager to try a new challenge at this stage of his career.

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De Ligt's contract with Bayern still runs for three years, but the German giants are not expected to demand the same £80million fee that Everton are asking for Branthwaite.

Despite his recent problems at club, De Ligt was included in the Netherlands squad for Euro 2024, but he was an unused substitute in the group stage, where Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake And Stefan de Vrij were preferred to the rear.

What other alternatives to Branthwaite are there?

Besides De Ligt, there is still a glimmer of hope that Manchester United can snatch the title from Nice. Jean-Clair Todiboas they reportedly complained to UEFA over ownership rules stating a deal cannot go ahead.

that of Lille Leny Yoro and Barcelona Ronald Araujo would also be interested, although it is believed that the former would have his heart set on joining Real Madrid this summer or next summer.

Closer to home, the Crystal Palace Marc Guéhi This could be a viable alternative, although the Eagles could set their starting price at around £60m.

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