Assessing the young centre-backs on Man Utd's January wishlist
We're less than two weeks into November and yet teams are already drawing up their January transfer lists. Manchester United are likely to delve into the market in the New Year as they seek to shore up their backline and we assess four young centre-backs reportedly on the Premier League side's shortlist.
Boasting a WhoScored rating of 7.24, Antonio Silva is the best rated centre-back in Liga Bwin this season. The 20-year-old has been a key performer in Benfica's quest to defend their Portuguese crown with his distribution vital for Roger Schmidt's side. Indeed, Silva's pass success rate of 94.3% is the best in Portugal's top tier this term, reinforcing a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of 'passing'.
There's also a willingness to do all he can to deny opponents from chancing their luck on the Benfica goal. Silva's average of 2.9 tackles per game ranks fifth in Liga Bwin, while he's often in the right place at the right time to alleviate pressure on the backline, with 3.7 clearances per game placing 26th. The youngster is highly thought of at Benfica, so it'll take a huge bid to convince the Eagles to sell their prized defender, but Silva could be the one to revive Manchester United's lumbering backline.
While Silva has been earning the plaudits in Portugal, the fact is Benfica sit second to Lisbon rivals Sporting CP heading into the weekend's meeting between the pair. Sporting have conceded the third fewest goals (9) in the division and the league leaders will hope to head into the international break five points clear at the top.
They'll need their own Portuguese centre-back to be at his best when the rivals face off at the Estadio Da Luz. Goncalo Inacio has established himself as one of the most sought after young defenders in Europe and it's only a matter of time before he makes his next move. Like Silva, Inacio is an adept ball playing centre-back, ranking top for passes per game (84) in Liga Bwin. The 22-year-old may not be as proactive as his compatriot, but for a Sporting side with the second best pass success rate (85.5%) in the division, Inacio is vital to the way Ruben Amorim's side play.
Manchester United were linked with a move for Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo over the summer but a transfer failed to materialise. The Frenchman has continued his excellent form for the Ligue 1 leaders as noted by a fine WhoScored rating of 7.25. Nice top France's top tier ahead of the weekend's action and the foundation has been the watertight backline. Indeed, they have conceded fewer goals (4) than any other team.
The 23-year-old has forged a solid partnership with the vastly experienced Dante at the Allianz Riviera and Nice would be reluctant to lose a player who has won possession in the defensive third more times (215) than any other player since the start of the 2023/24 Ligue 1 season. Like Silva and Inacio, Todibo is also a handy distributor having made the fourth most passes per game (85.9) in France's top tier this term, while a pass success rate of 90.2% is also respectable.
Having spent last season on loan with Dutch side PSV, Jarrad Branthwaite returned to Everton and has since become a key man under Sean Dyche. The 21-year-old has started nine of 11 league matches for the Toffees this term while a WhoScored rating of 6.93 is the fifth best for the Merseyside outfit. The 21-year-old has made quite the impression at Goodison Park this season, too, with reports suggesting that the youngster is on Manchester United's centre-back radar.
What stands out is Branthwaite's impressive reading of the game, a quality that belies his tender years. 16 interceptions ranks seventh in the Premier League, with the Everton centre-back adopting a measured approach to defending the Everton goal. In addition, the Toffees defender routinely finds himself in the right place to clear the decks having made the 14th most clearances (43) in the division so far. While he struggles to match the aforementioned trio in terms of playing out from the back, Branthwaite's Premier League experience certainly weighs in his favour.
