MANCHESTER UNITED are facing a turbulent time, with troubles on and off the pitch.
Keep up to date with the latest goings-on behind the scenes at Old Trafford with our Man Utd Files.
LYING IN WAITE
MANCHESTER United have targeted Jarrad Branthwaite to be their next defensive kingpin.
But Ruben Amorim will have to win the Europa League and achieve Champions League football to prise the Everton ace out of Goodison this summer.
United bosses have been hot on Branthwaite, 22, for more than a year and are ready to meet his £50m-plus valuation.
Branthwaite, who made his England debut in the pre-Euro 2024 friendly against Bosnia, has not featured for the Three Lions since and was a surprise omission from Thomas Tuchel’s first squad.
The Cumbrian-born defender is understood to be ready to consider the short journey from Merseyside for the profile a move to United would give him.
But Branthwaite is determined that any move should be to a team playing in the Champions League, offering him a genuine showcase for his top-tier talents – and the opportunity to persuade Tuchel he should be in the World Cup mix.
Spurs, whose season, like United’s, is now all about the Europa League, are potential rivals for Branthwaite’s signature.
But the Old Trafford side believe they can get the deal over the line.
BRANDON BACK ON TRACK
FORMER United left-back Brandon Williams is looking to get his career back on track after a tough 12 months.
Williams, 24, looked set for a golden future at Old Trafford after making 38 appearances for United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the Covid-interrupted 2019-20 campaign.
But his United career fizzled out with 14 matches the next season and just one more appearance either side of loan spells at Norwich and Ipswich before he was released when his contract expired last summer.
This month, Williams pleaded guilty to dangerous driving after being caught speeding at 99mph in a 70 zone before a crash in August 2023, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for May.
Yet a reflective Williams was able to talk about the highs and lows of being a professional footballer on the new “More than a Match” podcast in what seemed like a first step towards a better future.
Senior United officials are aware of his difficulties off the pitch and would like nothing more than to see him back in football.
THE BIONIQ MAN
DIOGO Dalot would have had more than just Portugal’s Nations League quarter-final against Croatia to discuss with Cristiano Ronaldo this week – after teaming up with the one-time King of Old Trafford in a business venture.
Dalot was announced as having made a €1million (£840,000) investment in nutritional supplement company Bioniq.
Ronaldo was unveiled as a “major investor” in the company last year.
Dalot says he has “created his own supplement routine, allowing him to vary his nutrient intake based on his performance goals”.
To be fair, he has been a consistent performer in an inconsistent season for United, missing just one Prem game and making 45 appearances in all competitions.
BLAME GAME
MAN United’s decision to raise season ticket prices by five per cent for fans aged 16-plus has not exactly gone down well.
Even if all 52,000 current season ticket holders were working age adults – senior citizens will get an across the board 25 per cent reduction next term – it would raise only an extra £1.5m in revenues for the club.
But failing to win the Europa League and missing out on Europe altogether will mean at least four fewer home games next season.
A number of current season ticket holders exercised their “opt out” on European ties but every game at Old Trafford sees United bank more than £5m – and the quarter-final first leg against Lyon next month will be their sixth match in the competition this term.
JOB LOT
UNITED may be in turmoil on and off the pitch but that has not changed the tone of the club’s upbeat job adverts – despite a planned second wave of mass redundancies.
While a total of 450 jobs wil be shed as part of the club’s cost-cutting drive, United are actually hiring a head of sports nutrition.
And the upbeat tone of the ad still makes United’s Carrington training ground a fun place to work.
The club boasts: “At Manchester United, we believe that excellence on the pitch starts with excellence off the pitch.
“Our team thrives in a high-performance environment, united by a shared passion for success.
“We aim to elevate the standard of performance through collaboration and continuous growth, creating a space where everyone can contribute their best to our common goals.
“We work together at our iconic Manchester United offices, enabling connection and innovation as we look ahead to what we can achieve as a global football club.
“We are excited to bring in passionate people who share our vision and drive for success.”
Despite showing the door to hundreds of loyal workers in the past 12 months, the ad continues: “Here at Manchester United, we place great emphasis on a culture of connection, respect, and teamwork.”
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