Manchester United are ‘discussing’ whether to pursue a deal for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite over concerns about his asking price, Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has suggested.
Everton are keen to cash in on the English defender this summer amid financial struggles and have set his asking price at £70million.
United are unwilling to meet the Toffees’ demands at the moment and could move on to other targets at centre-back, including Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, Lille’s Leny Yoro and Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo, according to Sheth.
Reportedly, the Manchester side have ‘no intention’ of matching Everton’s asking price for Branthwaite, who had a breakout year under Sean Dyche, helping the club avoid relegation despite multiple points deductions
Sheth, writing on X, suggests that Everton’s reluctance to reduce the asking price for Branthwaite could force Man United to move on to other targets this summer:
United’s initial £43million bid for Branthwaite was reportedly rejected by Everton, who are looking to sell players before the June 30 deadline to avoid breaking the Premier League’s financial rules.
Branthwaite, who formed a solid partnership with James Tarkowski last season, would be a big loss for the Toffees this summer but could help to balance the books with his departure.
The 21-year-old, who was called up by Gareth Southgate to England’s preliminary squad for Euro 2024, joined Everton in 2020 and has made 54 appearances for the club so far.
| Jarrad Branthwaite statistics per 90 minutes (2023-24 Premier League) | |
|---|---|
| Branthwaite | |
| Percentage of dribblers tackled | 72.6 |
| Ball recoveries | 5.23 |
| Tackles | 1.91 |
| Interceptions | 1.44 |
| Pass completion percentage | 79.8 |
Similar to Branthwaite and Everton, Brentford have set an asking price for their star striker that Premier League clubs are unwilling to meet at the moment.
