Nathan Collins at Brentford, Jarrad Branthwaite at Everton and Calvin Bassey at Fulham are the three names on the list, in reporting first carried by the Daily Mail and picked up across the English press this week.
Manchester United slipped into the Premier League relegation zone on November 7 after Nottingham Forest beat Manchester City, the first time they have been in the bottom three at least nine games into a season since November 1986. They sit 18th with one win from ten Premier League matches.
A home draw with Aston Villa the following day did little to steady the mood. Patrick Dorgu’s 96th-minute equaliser rescued a point from 2-0 down twice, the match finishing 4-4.
Why the centre-back comes first
The injury-hit central defence sits at the top of the January list, with a striker also wanted but more likely on loan after the failed summer attempt to move Joshua Zirkzee and bring cover for Benjamin Sesko, according to Football365’s reading of the Daily Mail report.
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Collins, 25, is the Brentford captain and a Republic of Ireland international. Branthwaite, 24, has been a long-standing target after Everton rejected summer 2024 bids worth £35m and then £50m. Bassey, the 26-year-old Nigeria international, is the cheaper option: his Fulham contract expires in the summer, TEAMtalk reports, though Fulham hold a one-year extension option.
None of the three are confirmed deals, and the shortlist can change once Pochettino is formally in charge.
Pochettino awaits U.S. Soccer release
That piece is not yet in place. Pochettino, head coach of the United States men’s national team, has agreed terms in principle with Manchester United but has not been announced as manager. Michael Carrick remains in post. A release clause of roughly $10m, plus compensation for his backroom staff, would be due to U.S. Soccer, as reported by Sky Sports.
If the appointment is completed as expected, Pochettino’s first fixture in charge will be the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on November 22, after the international break.
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Pochettino is expected to bring assistants Jesus Perez and Miguel D’Agostino, goalkeeping coach Antonio Jiménez and sports scientist Sebastiano Pochettino with him to Old Trafford, Football365 adds.
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