Ten Hag refuses to affirm the future of two key players at Manchester United, while a potential replacement signing has been approved byam united owner Ratcliffe

Erik ten Hag declined to confirm if Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane would stay on at Manchester United, despite rumours that their replacements will arrive via an affordable transfer to Everton.

The defensive tandem of Varane, 30, and Evans, 36, has raised more concerns than it has clarified this season.

Even though Lisandro Martinez is regarded as Ten Hag’s best centre defender, the unfortunate Argentine is injured again.

Martinez might be out for up to eight weeks due to a knee injury he sustained during the team’s most recent 3-0 victory over West Ham. This setback comes after he had foot surgery that kept him out of action for a large chunk of the first half of the season.

Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, two players who aren’t quite elite defenders, provide even more options for centre backs.

After making an impression during his preseason trial, Evans signed a one-year contract with Manchester United in the summer of last year. By not using Varane’s 12-month extension, Manchester United decided to deny him a contract at the conclusion of the current season.

With the controversy surrounding Varane’s performance and whether or not his £340,000 weekly compensation is justified, the decision to forgo Varane’s deal was made.

According to reports, Varane and Manchester United might work out a new deal with considerably different conditions, similar to what happened with David de Gea the previous year, even though the goalie would eventually leave as a free agent.

Manager Ten Hag was evasive when asked about Varane and Evans’ futures, saying, “We haven’t made the decision yet.”

If they were to leave, Manchester United would need to find worthy successors. As a result, there is a lot of conjecture that the team would consider Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton.

According to reports, Sir Jim Ratcliffe is in favour of recruiting players based more on analytics, and he believes that Branthwaite and Michael Olise fit the bill.

Although Everton put a steep £100 million price tag on Branthwaite in January to stave off interested parties, many believe the 21-year-old has great potential and will likely represent England in the future.

Early in January, there were rumours that Manchester United was interested in Branthwaite and that Everton’s relegation might result in a low-ball agreement for the gifted defender.

If Varane and Evans leave, Goodison Park may become a realistic option for Manchester United in order to find a worthy successor.