This summer has already seen United pursue some big defensive names in football.
Bayern Munich’s Matthias de Ligt, Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah and OGC Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo have all been targeted before United settled on LOSC Lille’s Leny Yoro.
However, at the start of it all was Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe set Branthwaite as United’s top defensive target at the start of the summer. The Red Devils have even gone so far as submitting two official bids for the centre-back, however refuse to go over £42 million for the 24-year-old.
Everton ultimately wanted at least £70 million for the defender which United has felt is too steep a sum, seeming to focus efforts elsewhere.
However, Branthwaite has now spoken to Everton’s club website about the coming season.
Branthwaite has insisted his full focus is on Everton after getting the Young Player of the Season award from the club.
Speaking to the club’s website, Branthwaite said: “I think for me it’s just about taking what I learned from last season, and the season before, and putting it all together. I think last season, playing all the games I did helped me put performances in and get the experience I needed,”
He continued: “I’m going to take that into this season and keep learning. When you’ve got a good defensive record, it gives you confidence going into the new season. It’s not just the defenders who contribute to that, it’s the whole team,
“And it’s the way the manager has us set up to give us the best possible chance to win games, and to pick up as many points as we can. I think it’ll be the same again this season. Hopefully, we can pick up a few wins early on and get the momentum going in the new season,
“I think for any young person, any young player, it’s about playing as many games as you can and that gives you the experience you need. You can only get experience in games and taking that into each game that I’ve done last season. It helped me massively to put in the performances which I did.”
With Branthwaite seemingly happy to be staying at Goodison Park after his standout debut season for the Toffees, we’ll soon see what next year has in store.
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