Manchester United’s summer pursuit of Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite could take a turn for the worse if a recent report is to be believed.
Following their disastrous campaign last season coupled with Raphael Varane’s departure, the Red Devils have prioritised the backline as an area in need of urgent reinforcements.
The 20-time English league champions saw their first bid of £45 million get rejected by the Toffees who were holding out for £70 million. United wanted to take advantage of Everton’s PSR woes by agreeing a cut-price deal but it did not pan out that way.
INEOS threatened to walk away from the deal without any further bids due to the Merseyside outfit’s unrealistic valuation considering the Englishman only had one full season in the Premier League.
Branthwaite saga
However, United ultimately did return with a second bid worth an overall £50 million but that was promptly rejected as well with Sean Dyche’s team sticking to their guns.
The Old Trafford side are mulling over an improved offer but they will not come close to reaching Everton’s valuation while cross-town rivals Manchester City are also reportedly waiting to pounce.
Football Insider have now claimed that the team from Goodison Park are prepared to offer the England international a new deal with improved terms in order to ward off interest from United.
