Man Utd 'preparing' £50m offer to land long-term target amid Liverpool and Real Madrid interest
Man United saw bids rejected by Everton to sign Jarrad Branthwaite last summer and are expected to show interest again.
Man United have held a longstanding interest in Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite and saw bids rejected for him last summer.
They are expected to show interest in him again this year as the likes of Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans are expected to leave, with the future of Harry Maguire also up in the air.
Branthwaite has made 27 appearances for the Toffees this season, and despite being just 22, is one of the leaders on the pitch for David Moyes’ side. He is under contract at Everton until 2027 and is expected to command a lot of transfer interest in the summer - not just from Man United.
Man United willing to offer £50m for Brathwaite
The English centre-back has emerged as one of the most in-demand defenders in world football after a couple of superb seasons for Everton since he broke into the starting XI after loan spells at Blackburn Rovers and PSV Eindhoven.
Last summer, Man United reportedly bid £35m to sign Branthwaite, a figure that was quickly rejected by Everton, who would be looking for significantly more money for the 22-year-old.
According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are reportedly preparing to offer £50m for Branthwaite in the summer, however, it is not clear as to whether this is a figure that Everton would be more prepared to accept.
The report says that Liverpool and Real Madrid are both keen to sign the 22-year-old too. But, Everton would likely be unwilling to sell one of their best players to their Merseyside rivals.
The Toffees would most likely rather sell Branthwaite to Madrid, as they would prefer to sell him to a team that isn’t in the Premier League and a team that they will have to compete with moving forward.
But, Madrid have been linked with several other top centre-backs including William Saliba from Arsenal and Dean Huijsen of Bournemouth, meaning that United could be cleared to make a move for Branthwaite.
He is expected to remain a top priority for the Red Devils, even though they signed both Leny Yoro and Matthijs De Ligt at the centre-back position last summer.
Do Man United need to sign Branthwaite?
It has been clear this season that United’s biggest weakness is in attack, as they have scored the sixth-fewest goals in the Premier League this season, with the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee struggling to find the net regularly.
Defensively, United have improved this season, and more recently they have seen the emergence of young talent Ayden Heaven, who they added in the January transfer window from Arsenal’s academy.
Heaven has made three appearances for the Red Devils since joining and has impressed manager Ruben Amorim, who hinted that his performances could change his transfer plans for the summer after Heaven’s more regular performances due to United’s injury problems at the back.
He said: “I found out Ayden is ready to stay in our squad and maybe we can change the way we are going to go to the market. There are always good and bad things [about squad injuries].”