FEE AGREED: Manchester United set to trigger release Clause to sign £50m highly talented superstar – Agent to meet with the board to conclude deal soon
Manchester United reportedly has admiration for Crystal Palace and England central defender Marc Guehi, according to GiveMeSport. United recently placed a bid for Everton central defender Jarrad Branthwaite worth £43 million, including add-ons, which was rejected by the Merseyside club.
It has been suggested that United will not offer Everton’s valuation of £70 million for the English defender, instead seemingly move on to other attainable targets this summer, which is a positive with United spending the summer tracking a single player in the last few years.
United are keen at add another central defender to the squad after the departure of Raphael Varane this summer plus the need to strengthen the defence after a number of injuries were suffered in that area last season, which stopped United from competing in the Premier League and beyond.
United need to bring in a strong and dependable central defensive partner for Argentinian Lisandro Martinez, who signed for the club from Ajax in the summer of 2022, following Erik ten Hag from the Dutch club – becoming the clubs best defender and one of the few leaders at the club currently.
United have many other options after Branthwaite with Jean-Clair Todibo, Gleison Bremer, Leny Yoro and now Guehi. The 23-year-old has been praised by former Manchester City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart as being ‘exceptional’ following his Euro 2024 debut against Serbia on Sunday.
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand, who along with Nemanja Vidic, saw United’s defence become a brick wall for much of their time at the club. United will need to implement the same thing now as it will show what this squad could actually do for their manager, who has been entrusted.
Ferdinand, speaking to BBC Sport prior to England’s opening Euro 2024 match which Serbia, which they won 1-0 with a single goal scored by Jude Bellingham, talked about Guehi, saying:
“It’s interesting – he’s a young defender coming into the national team. I think you need to build a relationship with your [centre-back] partner, like I remember going into the 2002 World Cup, Sol Campbell was more experienced than me and I was going to his room, talking about music, having a coffee, just to build that relationship off the pitch that you see the fruits on the pitch.
“The main work goes in on the training ground and John Stones has a big role to play. He’s got to help and talk to this young defender – they’ve played together three times, that’s not a lot of games.
“It’s an inexperienced line-up together. Patrick Vieira [the former Palace manager] said to me when I spoke about him, he said: ‘This kid, whatever level he gets to, he will be able to jump to that level and he will do it comfortably.’ He seems like a real cool and calm customer, and I actually texted him and he just come back with: ‘Yeah, cheers man, thanks.’ I had to prod him again!”
