Everton Reject £45m Manchester United Bid for Branthwaite

Everton have turned down a second bid of approximately £45m from Manchester United for defender Jarrad Branthwaite. This comes after the Toffees rejected an initial £35m offer for the 22-year-old England international last month. United’s revised proposal included potential add-ons linked to specific performance targets, but it still fell short of Everton valuation.

Branthwaite has notably performed well as a left-sided central defender at Goodison Park, contributing significantly to Everton’s efforts in avoiding relegation last season, despite facing challenges such as point deductions for financial rule breaches. Manchester United’s interest in Branthwaite reflects their desire to bolster their options in central defense.

They have also been actively pursuing Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt, who is currently representing the Netherlands at Euro 2024. The departure of Raphael Varane has left a void in United’s defensive lineup, compounded by uncertainties surrounding negotiations with veteran Northern Ireland defender Jonny Evans for a potential new one-year contract.

Furthermore, the future of Sweden international Victor Lindelof remains unclear, as he reported to Carrington for the start of pre-season training on Monday amidst ongoing speculation. The situation underscores United’s urgent need to secure defensive reinforcements ahead of the upcoming season with Branthwaite emerging as a prime target despite Everton’s reluctance to part ways with the promising young defender.