Even though Manchester United defeated Liverpool 4-3 last time out, it wouldn’t be shocking if they struggled against Brentford this coming Saturday.

The reason Erik ten Hag’s team is in sixth place in the Premier League is because they haven’t been very consistent this season.

The Erik Ten Hag Profile
The main problem for the former Ajax manager this season has been the squad’s constant injury problems, especially with the defensive, which is probably why United has struggled.

In light of this, let’s examine which Premier League defender Sir Jim Ratcliffe has his eye on, since it may be possible to duplicate the success of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand together.

Man United’s pursuit of a centre defender
The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath reports that Man United is considering Jarrad Branthwaite as a possible summer acquisition.

Jarrad-Branthwaite
Given that Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, and Raphael Varane have all had injuries this season, Ten Hag is eager to strengthen the defence in the summer.

According to reports, a minimum of £50 million would be needed to acquire the talented defender.

But Everton’s current predicament helps United, since it seems probable that a valuable player like Branthwaite will be moved to earn money.

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The defensive combination of Vidic and Ferdinand will go down as one of the best to have played in the Premier League as well as maybe the best center-half combination to have ever played for Manchester United.

The fact that the centre halves won five Premier League championships and one Champions League together at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson is further evidence of their extreme dominance.

united by vidic-ferdinand-man
Ratcliffe’s desire to emulate such a productive center-half combination is therefore not surprising, and Branthwaite may enable the new owner to achieve this goal.

The English rock has been outstanding for the Toffees this season, starting 25 Premier League games and recording seven clean sheets. Jacek Kulig, a Football Talent Scout, has even called him a “monster.”

The 23/24 PL Stats for Branthwaite

Statistics

Branthwaite

Objectives

2.

Loss of possession (per game)

9.1

Winning duels (per game)

5.3

Amounts cleared (per game)

4.2

Number of tackles (per game)

2.

Dribbled past in each match

0.3

Interceptions in each match

1.6

Through Sofascore

As you can see, the 21-year-old’s statistics back up that assessment. Despite playing for a team that only averages 40% possession per game, the former PSV star excels both on the ball and in defensive assignments.

Branthwaite would play the position of Ferdinand for the Red Devils because of his dynamic defence and ability to play with control, which are demonstrated by his interception, tackle, and dribbling statistics.

Martinez, on the other hand, would be United’s equivalent of Vidic because of the way both players play aggressive defence and frequently risk their lives for the club, as seen by their nicknames, “Butcher.”


Ferdinand always played as a sweeper because of the Serbian’s aggressive style of play. He used his quickness and keen sense of the game to pick up any passes that went behind Vidic, who was pushed up.

Consequently, the acquisition of Branthwaite would allow for the reestablishment of that precise bond, since the Everton defender has a cool, collected profile with the former United number five.

Ratcliffe and Ten Hag, meanwhile, can only hope that their performance comes close to that of their formerly fearsome team.