Manchester United are planning a new move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite next summer.
United had two offers worth up to £50m for centre-back Branthwaite rejected before the start of this season, but the 22-year-old remains high on their wish list.
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United sporting director Dan Ashworth believes the cultured Branthwaite would suit new coach Ruben Amorim’s playing style and his preferred 3-4-3 system.
Sources close to Branthwaite say he has ambitions of playing for a top Premier League club.
United could face competition from arch-rivals Liverpool, who are also admirers of the England international.
Branthwaite has not started a game this season due to injury and his absence from the starting line-up in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at relegation rivals Southampton, despite returning to full fitness, came as a shock to the Toffees’ dressing room.
Hall pass
Newcastle defender Lewis Hall has applied for a first call-up to the England senior team in a bid to solve the Three Lions’ left-back crisis.
The 20-year-old Under-21 international has been one of Newcastle’s standout performers this season, including an impressive performance to pin Bukayo Saka in the 1-0 win over Arsenal at St James’ Park on Saturday.
The Pitch Prospect understands that England interim coach Lee Carsley has been monitoring Hall’s progress ahead of next week’s crucial Nations League doubleheader with Greece and the Republic of Ireland.
England realistically need to win in Athens to avoid finishing second in the group and heading into an unwanted play-off round in March.
Carsley has been criticized for not naming a left-back in his first two squads and with Luke Shaw still sidelined, Hall, handed his Chelsea debut by new England head coach Thomas Tuchel, has found himself in pole position to do so to answer the call.
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That is the spirit
Nuno Espirito Santo has been rewarded with a great new contract for Nottingham Forest’s great start to the season.
Espirito Santo has guided Forest into the top three of the Premier League for the first time in 26 years after losing just one of their first 10 games.
Notoriously demanding owner Evangelos Marinakis has been so impressed that he wants to extend the former Wolves and Tottenham manager’s contract.
Espirito Santo is currently contracted to the City Ground until the summer of 2026.
It was also previously reported in this notebook that Forest’s in-form striker Chris Wood is set to sign a new contract.
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Port of call
Ruben Amorim is not the only Portuguese coach on the radar of Premier League clubs.
With Amorim moving to Manchester United, his former sparring partner and former Porto coach Sergio Conceicao is also on the radar of several teams who may be considering a coaching change in the near future.
West Ham are believed to have had Conceicao on their list of potential options when they replaced David Moyes with Julen Lopetegui in the summer.
Lopetegui is already under pressure after a poor start to the season and The Pitch Prospect has been told that several senior Hammers stars don’t entirely agree with the Spaniard.
Everton manager Sean Dyche is also under the watch of new owner Dan Friedkin and the unemployed Conceicao, who led Porto to three league titles from 11 major honours, would be seen as a progressive appointment.