Man Utd’s second attempt to sign Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite was turned down.
Everton’s rejection of Manchester United’s second bid for defender Jarrad Branthwaite has the team considering their options.
Having already had a bid of £43 million rejected last month, it is understood that United presented an upgraded offer of £45 million with an additional £5 million in add-ons.
Everton is thought to be seeking at least £70 million for the player this summer, so United’s updated bid is still far short of their asking price. The sales of Ben Godfrey and Lewis Dobbin before the PSR deadline have improved the Merseyside club’s negotiating position.
Everton insiders continue to insist that they will only sell Branthwaite in the event of a massive offer, and they have justified their asking price by pointing to the previous sales of Wesley Fofana, Josko Gvardiol, and Harry Maguire. There is also a case to be made that, at the age of 22, being left-footed and English, he is more valuable than the three players named above.
It implies that United will need to consider their options carefully before submitting a second proposal, as the team is leery of being drawn into drawn-out transfer negotiations if they don’t think a solution can be reached.
In addition to their planned acquisition of Matthijs De Ligt from Bayern Munich, United is still interested in Branthwaite. This summer, the team hopes to add a right and left centre back. Although it is unlikely to go any farther while he is away at the European Championship this week, a transfer for the Dutchman is reportedly going smoothly.
Raphael Varane has officially left the team as a free agent, while Jonny Evans is out of contract, but he may be offered another year if funds allow for the signing of a second centre back. As a result, United is looking to add two new central defenders this summer. Victor Lindelof has entering his final year of eligibility at United, and the team is also looking to move him.
