Journalist Dean Jones has suggested that Manchester United now face a big problem in their pursuit of Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite in the summer transfer window.

This upcoming window at Old Trafford is going to be fascinating to follow, given that it is the first where the influence of Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to be evident. It has also been a miserable season for Erik ten Hag’s side on the pitch.

One of the major issues United must address is the lack of quality and depth at centre-back, with Casemiro really struggling while filling in in the role of late.

It appears that one of their top targets is Jarrad Branthwaite, with the Everton star enjoying an outstanding season with the Toffees.

Manchester United face problem trying to sign Jarrad Branthwaite

Branthwaite has admirers at Real Madrid, but Manchester United are also interested in securing his signature. However, it seems that they have got their work cut out if they are going to be able to get a deal done.

Speaking on Ranks FC, Dean Jones suggested that the two clubs are quite far apart in their valuations of the youngster.

“You’ve all read about Jarrad Branthwaite; it’s true, Man United do really like Jarrad Branthwaite and they would like to sign him,” he said.

“They don’t really want to spend much more than £50 million on Jarrad Branthwaite, which is a problem because Everton value him a lot higher than that, and United are relying on the fact that Everton are in a financial mess and need to sell players to open the door for them to sign Branthwaite.

“The problem is Everton will probably look to offload someone like Amadou Onana before they have to get to that stage, so it’s going to be difficult. But yeah, United love Branthwaite, love how he’s got experience in the league, but also got a lot of room for growth in this league. And obviously, his age and everything fits perfectly.”

New decision-makers wary of opening up old scars

Obviously, United have been guilty of overspending on targets in the past few years, with the likes of Harry Maguire, Casemiro and Antony amongst those who have struggled to live up to expectations.

And thus, they may be wary of meeting Everton’s demands for Branthwaite, particularly as he has only made 44 Premier League appearances in his career to date.

This summer surely needs to be a turning point for Manchester United after years of mediocrity, so it is imperative that they bring the right players in.

For many, Branthwaite would be the ideal option, but you can understand why the United hierarchy may be wary of repeating past mistakes.