Everton’s Stance On Jarrad Branthwaite Has Not Changed Despite Manchester United Interest
Everton have yet to back down when it comes to the Jarrad Branthwaite situation, and Manchester United may have to begin looking elsewhere if they are not willing to pay the fee the Merseyside club wants. United’s first bid was said to be £35m plus £10m in add-ons, but Everton felt the bid was nowhere near the ballpark they were willing to do any business for.
The Blue’s believe Jarrad Branthwaite should be sold for a fee similar to when Harry Maguire went to Manchester United for £80m, or Wesley Fofana was sold for £75m to Chelsea, as well as Josko Gvardiol, who Manchester City bought from RB Leipzig for £77m last summer. The belief is that Branthwaite sits in that same bracket of players, and the price tag being paid for him should represent that. The club is unwilling to pander to the demands of United at this moment in time, as they aren’t currently willing to reach that fee.
Everton Stand Firm On Branthwaite:
Branthwaite featured 35 times in the Premier League for Everton last season, scoring on three occasions. The decision to leave him out of the EURO 2024 squad has been heavily criticised in recent weeks, and England’s decision to play without a left sided defender in the Group Stage matches has definitely been a huge issue.
United have maintained this summer that they want to change their reputation within the market, meaning paying upwards of £80m for a player is expected to be off the table if it can be avoided. Branthwaite is not currently pressing to leave Everton, with the player happy to stay at Goodison for another season, putting United in a precarious place when it comes to negotiations.
The Red’s are also set to miss out on Jean-Clair Todibo after UEFA made a ruling that a player from a club owned by the same people could not be sold while the teams are playing in the same competition. This has led to the club changing their direction and possibly pursuing a deal for Matthijs De Ligt from Bayern Munich, with talks already taking place with the player’s representatives.
Everton want to keep Branthwaite this summer, and they are not willing to entertain offers in the current ballpark United are aiming at, meaning it’s now up to the club from Old Trafford to raise their bid or decide to walk away from the transfer all together.
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