Everton have reportedly rejected Manchester United’s insulting low opening offer of just £35m with a further £8m in add-ons for Jarrad Branthwaite.
An initial report by Mail Sport says the Red Devils had a bid in mind after the Blues placed a £70m price tag around the 21-year-old’s neck. Other sources corroborate that the two clubs are now in talks iron out the differences.
The Express and the Manchester Evening News had meanwhile claimed that Branthwaite has agreed personal terms with United which would pave the way for him to move to Old Trafford this summer if Everton were to accept an offer, although the Merseyside club’s stance is that the defender isn’t for sale unless an astronomical fee is agreed upon and, as it now stands, the two clubs are miles apart in terms of valuation.
Branthwaite – a former Carlisle center-half currently regarded as the most promising player in his position in the country for his age – had a breakthrough season in the Premier League with the Toffees in 2023-24 following a hugely successful season on loan in the Eredivisie with PSV Eindhoven the year before and he narrowly missed out on a place in the England squad for Euro 2024. Under different circumstances, Everton might well have been able to demand a record fee for a centre-half of his caliber.
However, their bargaining position is compromised considerably with finances at Goodison Park being incredibly tight and the Toffees needing to make sales before the end of the financial year on 30th June, which could likely give the Old Trafford club the edge in the transfer discussions.