Man United ahead of Chelsea in the race to sign £80m-rated Premier League ace

Manchester United are looking to improve their defensive options and they have identified the Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite as their top target.

According to a report via Give Me Sport, Manchester United are now ahead of Premier League rivals Chelsea in the race to sign the 21-year-old defender. Chelsea want to improve their back four, especially with Thiago Silva leaving in the summer and the Everton talent would be a superb investment.

Everton reportedly value him at £80 million and it will be interesting to see if Manchester United are prepared to pay that kind of money for him. The Red Devils need to bring in defensive reinforcement at the end of the season and Branthwaite could prove to be a quality addition.

He has already established himself as a key player for Everton in the Premier League and he could develop into a top class defender with coaching and experience. The 21-year-old could prove to be an upgrade on players like Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans next season.

Manchester United have looked vulnerable defensively and they need to improve in that department if they want to return to the Champions League and compete for major trophies once again.

Real Madrid want to sign Jarrad Branthwaite

Meanwhile, Manchester United will face competition from Spanish giants Real Madrid as well. They are looking to improve their defensive options and they have identified the 21-year-old Premier league defender as a potential target.

The young defender is likely to be tempted to join clubs like Manchester United and Real Madrid in the coming months and it remains to be seen where he ends up. The reported asking price could prove to be prohibitive for any club and it remains to be seen whether Everton prepared to accept a more