Sheffield United are keen on signing Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite on loan this summer, according to the Daily Mail.
The young Toffees ace is set to be sent out on loan for the 22/23 campaign as Frank Lampard looks to get some much needed experience and game time into the teenager.
The Daily Mail (Print edition, 25/07, P110), has claimed that Sheffield United are among a cluster of teams that includes PSV and Middlesbrough who are keen on Branthwaite. The 19-year-old featured six times in the Premier League last season for Everton, and even scored against Chelsea in a 1-1 draw.
But Branthwaite is still considered a raw talent despite being given his chance and a loan move is now looking more likely for him this summer. The Blades, then, are among the teams looking to pounce.
United boss Paul Heckingbottom is said to want a number of player signed and has admitted the free and loans market is one which he will have to use wisely. A defender is known to be a priority, with United having sent Ben Davies back to Liverpool and numbers already down in that area.
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The Blades have identified a number of players but have, so far, missed out on players like Joe Rothwell and Scott Twine.
Our View: Branthwaite Could Do A Job At United
There is clearly a player there when it comes to Jarrad Branthwaite. At the end of the day, you don’t get your chance in big games at Everton without having something about you. Manchester City have watched him, and Michael Keane labelled his teammate a ‘brilliant‘ player just last year.
However, he is only 19 and has a naiveness to his game which was shown when he was sent off against Brentford late last season. Having said that, a season in the Championship could help him.
The big worry we would have here is that United use one of their loan spots on a defender. We saw last season the impact Morgan Gibbs-White had, and there could be better attacking players to use that loan on.