Man United look set to make another offer to sign Jarrad Branthwaite from Everton this summer.
Manchester United have made no secret about the fact that they want to sign a central defender this summer. It makes complete sense given Raphael Varane’s somewhat surprising exit.
The name consistently popping up in the media is Jarrad Branthwaite. The Englishman, who narrowly missed out on Gareth Southgate’s European Championship squad, had an excellent campaign for Everton. As you’d expect, the interest in him has heightened since.
After an initial bid from the Old Trafford club, worth around £43m in total, was turned down, all had gone somewhat quiet – until yesterday…
It’s the Liverpool Echo with the latest story. They state that the Reds are still ‘heavily interested’ in signing the player, with Everton set to be tested with another bid.
There is a ‘growing expectation’ that United will send in another offer for the Englishman, despite the fact that Everton have remained firm on the stance that they’re unwilling to compromise on asking price. They want at least £70m.
There is certainly some distance in between the clubs’ valuations of Branthwaite, so you’d like to think middle ground could be found. However, both sides are having financial issues…
United do not have a huge transfer budget available, while Everton may need to sell in order to comply with Premier League Profit & Sustainability rules. It’s certainly going to be interesting to see what the value is of the imminent second offer from the Reds.
INEOS do not want to be taken for mugs. They’re intent on not overpaying to bring in players, so I’m also intrigued to see what their spending limit is to sign a top target like Branthwaite.
Do you think a Man United move to sign Jarrad Branthwaite would make sense? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below