Manchester United have work to do in order to land one of their top summer transfer targets. The Red Devils have reportedly had a £50m bid turned down for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.
The 22-year-old centre-back has been on the 13-time Premier League champions' radar for some time, and Erik ten Hag's side have intensified their pursuit off the back of an impressive 2023/24 campaign for the Toffees – who he helped avoid relegation from the top flight.
United submitted an offer of £45m plus £5m in add-ons for Branthwaite on Monday, having initially submitted a bid of £35m in June. However, according to Fabrizio Romano, the new bid was immediately rebuffed by Everton as well.
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The Merseyside outfit are said to want closer to £70m for Branthwaite. That's twice Transfermarkt's current valuation of the six-foot-four enforcer – who scooped an impressive double of Young Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season at Goodison Park last term.
It remains to be seen whether Man United will come back with an improved approach for the former Carlisle United youngster. The Red Devils do appear to have alternative targets in mind, with Bayern Munich and Netherlands star Matthijs de Ligt being linked with a switch to Old Trafford.
Since joining Everton from local club Carlisle as a 17-year-old, Branthwaite has made 54 first-team appearances – including 45 in the Premier League. A potent aerial threat from set-pieces, he's scored four goals in all competitions.
Capped by England for the first time in a June friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 2023 European Under-21 Championship winner was seen by many as unlucky not to make Gareth Southgate's senior squad for Euro 2024. FourFourTwo can't see him waiting long to add to his tally, though, especially if he does take his career to the next level by moving to Manchester United.
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