Secret stat reveals Jarrad Branthwaite is Manchester United’s perfect Raphaël Varane replacement

Manchester United may have found their Raphaël Varane replacement as a secret stat about Jarrad Branthwaite emerges.

Manchester United are heavily pursuing Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite this summer and have already agreed personal terms with the player for a transfer this summer.

With Raphaël Varane having left and the futures of Jonny Evans, Harry Maguire, and Victor Lindelöf unclear, United submitted a bid of £35 million plus £8 million in bonuses to Everton for Branthwaite, which was rejected.

Read More: Manchester United could engage in Everton swap deal as Jarrad Branthwaite solution appears

However, the club are expected to eventually submit a second bid, although the amount and timeline are unclear.

While many see Varane’s best asset as his box defending, the slightly more secretive statistic which proves what really stood out was his ambipedal-ness.

Varane played just as well with his right foot as he did with his left, and last season’s passes with either foot were pretty much equal, with a 52/48 split, as shown in a graphic designed by The Athletic below.

Another man on this list, as can be seen two spaces below Varane, is Branthwaite himself. While many have questioned why United are targeting Branthwaite as a left-footed centre-back while they already have Lisandro Martínez, this statistic displays the reasoning.

With United losing Varane, they need a new ambipedal centre-back in the squad to be able to provide the unique abilities that two-footed defenders possess, and in Branthwaite, they have that in abundance.

While Branthwaite’s split is more heavily weighted to his left foot, this will be partially down to the fact he is playing in a defence-first system at Everton, while at United, he may have much more space to make passes with either foot.

“I’ve got a five-star weak foot on the new FIFA,” Branthwaite told Everton’s official website last season. “If I’m hitting a long pass, I’ll go with my left; short passes with my right,” he explained.

Let’s hope a deal can be sealed for the 21-year-old this summer.

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