Man Utd could earn millions in transfer windfall amid Tottenham and Newcastle interest in £25m Everton star

Manchester United could be set to gain millions of pounds without doing anything amid reports of Premier League interest in Everton's James Garner.

A recent report from Football Insider suggested that Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United were both interested in Garner, who has become a key cog in the Everton midfield this season. The 22-year-old has 31 starts to his name across all competitions and only James Tarkowski has more minutes for the Toffees.

Everton signed Garner from United back in the summer of 2022 in what was a surprise decision, given the promise shown by the midfielder during Erik ten Hag's first pre-season as manager. The Merseyside club paid an initial £9million for the Reds academy graduate, with a further £6.5m of potential add-ons to come in the future.

Key to the deal was the insertion of a sell-on clause and if Garner does move on this summer, United could be entitled to a portion of the profits. The finer details of the clause are not clear but such deals are usually based on any profit made through a future sale and past agreements are reported to be as high as 40 per cent.

This most recent report suggests that Everton will hold out for up to £25m this summer, with the hope of making a significant profit on a player they have worked hard to develop over the past two seasons. Even if the Toffees have paid the full £15.5m to United, there is still a portion of the £10m profit which would be owed to the Reds.

Garner was one of many young United stars to be sold in such deals, with the club steering towards offloading young fringe talent. In January, Hannibal Mejbri and Alvaro Fernandez joined Sevilla and Benfica respectively and both moves can be made permanent in the summer, with sell-on clauses inserted on both occasions.

Mateo Mejia also joined Sevilla permanently last month and United will bank 25 per cent of any profit made on the young striker, while Zidane Iqbal and Ethan Laird - who joined FC Utrecht and Birmingham City respectively last summer - would also bring more money to Old Trafford if they are sold on. Incoming money would not break the bank by any means, but would represent a healthy boost at a time when profitability and sustainability rules are being strictly enforced.