Jarrad Branthwaite makes Everton decision amid Man Utd transfer interest

Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite has made a big decision regarding his future at Goodison Park as Manchester United continue to try and secure his services throughout the summer transfer window.

Erik ten Hag’s side have seen two offers rejected outright by the Toffees for the defender, with the first bid in June totalling around £43m whilst the second earlier this month saw United offer £45m plus £5m in add-ons to total £50m which was also swiftly declined.

The Manchester Evening News understands that the 21-year-old is valued between £70m and £80m by Everton, a far cry from what United are currently offering, after his impressive performances under Sean Dyche last season earnt him a spot in Gareth Southgate’s 33-man provisional England squad for the 2024 Euros over the summer.

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Whilst United feel that Everton’s price tag is unrealistic, the Toffees are said to have pointed at their past purchase of centre-back Harry Maguire from Leicester for £80m, Wesley Fofana’s £75m move to Chelsea and Josko Gvardiol’s £77.6m arrival at Manchester City over the past five years to justify their valuation.

Dyche’s side have also already sold defender Ben Godfrey to Serie A club Atalanta and winger Lewis Dobbin to Premier League rivals Aston Villa in order to comply with the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules and avoid a third points deduction after the two they received last season almost saw them relegated.

The two sales are said to have netted them £20m, meaning they’re happy to keep Branthwaite due to not needing to sort any desperate fire sales of players in order to stay within the regulations. It comes as Man United are in dire need of defensive upgrades after Raphael Varane’s exit at the end of last season and Victor Lindelöf’s expected departure this summer due to his expiring contract next summer.

On top of that, injury woes to Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire throughout the campaign meant a consistently inconsistent back-four, making it hard for Ten Hag’s side to keep climbing the table, eventually culminating in their worst defensive season since the 1978-79 campaign.

Now though, it appears that Branthwaite has taken the decision into his own hands as he was spotted boarding the team’s flight to Ireland where they’ll start their preseason with a friendly against Sligo Rovers – the former club of Toffees captain Seamus Coleman. In a video posted to X by Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Branthwaite can be seen carrying his bags as he stepped onto the flight on Monday morning, indicating he’s still heavily involved with Dyche’s plans for the future.