Man Utd considering low cost centre-back solution with £25m Englishman

Manchester United are eyeing up a potential bargain this summer, with one Premier League defender ready to “entertain” any potential offer put in by the Red Devils.

Red Devils ready for change

Following the news that almost everyone is for sale this summer, there is expected to be widespread change at Old Trafford. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival has seen off the pitch appointments this summer, and now his attentions are turning to the playing staff, with Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial already confirming that they will leave as free agents this summer.

Erik ten Hag’s own future is yet to be decided, but a new centre-back, central midfielder, striker and winger are all on the Manchester United wishlist, while there is set to be a push to sign players under the age of 25 in a bid to prevent cases such as Varane and Casemiro occuring in the future.

The likes of Jarrad Branthwaite, Amadou Onana and Michael Olise have all been touted as ready-made Premier League additions this summer. But a new name has been thrown into the mix.

United eyeing Chelsea outcast

Now, a fresh report has emerged revealing that Manchester United are weighing up a move for Chelsea man Trevoh Chalobah as they look to bolster their backline.

The defender suffered an injury-ridden campaign but fits the desire of Manchester United to find a centre-back who can also play at right back when required, a requirement that has also seen them linked with Barcelona defender Jules Kounde.

For his part, Chalobah has been the subject of widespread interest in recent transfer windows, with Tottenham and Bayern Munich among those courting the Englishman and Nottingham Forest seeing a move break down over personal terms in January.

That stems from Chalobah’s desire to remain at the top level, and BBC Sport reveal that he would “only entertain offers from top seven Premier League clubs or Champions League clubs in Europe”, something that Manchester United technically do not fall under courtesy of their eighth-placed finish this season but are likely to still be included in.

It is added that the defender is “in no rush to leave” Stamford Bridge, with Chalobah having four years still to run on his £50,000 a week deal in west London. Chelsea, however, may be in a rush to offload him as they look to comply with PSR before the 30th June deadline this summer.

And Manchester United are a potential landing spot. As per The Independent, the Red Devils are “weighing up a bid” with Chelsea “willing to do business” and demanding a transfer fee of around £25m to part ways with the academy graduate.

It remains unclear whether any move for Chalobah, who turns 25 this summer, would be alongside a move for another centre back such as Jarrad Branthwaite, but that seems the likely scenario given that Erik ten Hag can only call upon three senior defenders and youngster Willy Kambwala as things stand.

They would be getting a committed player though, with Graham Potter labelling him a “soldier” for his efforts on the pitch during his short stint in charge of the Blues.

“He wasn’t in for the first couple of games, but acted perfectly: trained really well, very professional, very determined. He’s an impressive character, very focused on his football”, the then Blues boss explained.

“He’s a bit of a soldier. He’s played in all the games, we’re having some problems in terms of availability for players, but he’s stood up, stood in and he’s performing at a really good level.”

A move for Chalobah could help squad building in light of Aaron Wan-Bissaka having been put up for sale too, with the Chelsea man capable of playing at right back when required. All in all, it could prove a smart signing for the Red Devils, and would add plenty of quality at a relatively cheap fee.