Man Utd line up £55m EPL star as Sir Jim Ratcliffe makes transfer priority clear

Manchester United have made signing a centre-back their priority in the summer transfer window and have reportedly identified Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi as a top target.

United have struggled with injuries in central defence this season, with Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane all spending time on the sidelines. Casemiro has been drafted in to play alongside Harry Maguire in the last three matches after 19-year-old Willy Kambwala also succumbed to injury.

A squad overhaul is being planned for the summer transfer window following the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team in February. Ratcliffe has hired Jason Wilcox from Southampton to become technical director, while Dan Ashworth is going through arbitration at Newcastle to become sporting director.

Ashworth and Wilcox will oversee a recruitment drive this summer and a central defender is of critical importance. The Times reports that Guehi is at the top of their shortlist, which also includes Wolves captain Max Kilman.

Guehi is currently sidelined, having undergone knee surgery in February, but is expected to return soon and is hoping to play with England at Euro 2024. The 23-year-old has two years left on his contract and is valued at £55million by Palace, who are braced to lose him this summer, with Arsenal also among his suitors.

United and Arsenal have both scouted the nine-cap England international, who joined Palace three years ago from Chelsea for £18m. Having developed Guehi in their academy, the Blues would have the opportunity to match any bids this summer, but Tottenham are not expected to return to their interest after signing Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin.

Guehi has made 108 appearances for Palace and United value his Premier League experience. Were he to fetch his £55m price tag, then he would eclipse the £50m United paid Palace for Aaron Wan-Bissaka in 2019 as the club’s record sale. Ratcliffe is also behind United's interest in Palace midfielder Michael Olise, who has been tipped to cost £60m.

Palace would need to find a replacement for Guehi, given James Tomkins and Rob Holding are both out of contract this summer. They tried to sign Peterborough’s Ronnie Edwards in January and would face competition from West Ham if they tried again, according to The Times.

Kilman would likely be more difficult to prise out of Wolves, given his status as captain and the fact his contract runs until June 2028. According to Fabrizio Romano, United are also interested in Barcelona's Ronald Araujo, who is attempting to negotiate a new contract.

The need for a centre-back is made more acute due to the uncertainty surrounding Varane’s future. The former Real Madrid star’s contract is due to expire in June and United may let him leave for Saudi Arabia, rather than trigger the 12-month option they hold.