We are now officially in off-season mode. Manchester United are FA Cup champions, and with it, destined for the both the UEFA Europa League competition next season, and the Community Shield on August 10. Before then, we will have preseason friendlies, and until then, lots of transfer talk to do. We’ll do that right now, covering Jarrad Branthwaite and Silva Mexes.
We’ll begin with the latter, who became the first signing (sort of) of the summer for MUFC.
Silva Mexes has officially joined Manchester Utd from Ipswich
u14 forward pic.twitter.com/OXiYO1e7iM
— academyarena Utd (@academyarenaUTD) May 30, 2024
Mexes, 14, becomes the first official signing of the INEOS/Sir Jim Ratcliffe, well, not the first senior team signing, obviously. The forward moves over from the Ipswich Town Academy, a club that made a lot of news today. Ipswich senior team manager, Kieran McKenna, has been linked with numerous open jobs this silly season.
He has even been linked with United, if/when they actually decide that they are going to sack Erik ten Hag.
We’re still waiting around for a decision on that.
Anyways, McKenna has re-upped with Ipswich, so he is not going anywhere as he leads the Tractor Boys into the Prem this season. Shifting gears to Branthwaite, ESPN has a report, from a couple hours ago, claiming he’s a top target for Old Trafford this summer.
However, Everton could slap a price tag on him that ultimately turns United off.
Their article states that “Everton could demand as much as £75 million ($95m) for Branthwaite.”
United badly need help at central defender, and with Raphael Varane out the door, they’ll need to sign at least two center backs this summer. Branthwaite, 21, could be the answer, but with such a massive price tag, the English international might not be the best option.
Because after all, his transfer fee would take too big of a chunk out of the transfer war chest.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.