Man Utd want to pay £40m for Jarrad Branthwaite. (Image: Getty)
Manchester United have been informed they have no chance of luring Jarrad Branthwaite away from Everton in a cut-price deal this summer, according to reports. The Red Devils reportedly had hopes of striking a £40million bargain to bolster their defence, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have to meet his lofty asking price.
Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell and manager Sean Dyche have admitted that the club will have to sell some players to stay afloat ahead of 777 Partners' takeover collapsing.
Farhad Moshiri will be able to enter talks with other suitors once 777's exclusivity agreement expires on Friday.
But the Toffees are resigned to selling some of their prized assets amid Premier League interest in Branthwaite, Amadou Onana and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
That said, there is a determination to avoid losing any of the club's star names on the cheap, including United's priority centre-back target.
According to the Mirror, Everton value Branthwaite at around double the £40m fee the Old Trafford giants have been preparing to table.
The 21-year-old is among Europe's most talented young defenders, left-footed and has been named in Gareth Southgate's preliminary England squad ahead of Euro 2024.
Everton signed a 17-year-old Branthwaite for just £1m from League Two side Carlisle United in January 2020 before sending him on loan to Blackburn Rovers and PSV Eindhoven.
Everton value Jarrad Branthwaite at £80m. (Image: Getty)
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Carlisle reportedly included a 15 per cent sell-on clause in the deal, which should hand the Cumbrians a handsome payday from his eventual sale.
But Everton can divert United to their own decision to splash £80m to sign Harry Maguire from Leicester City in 2019, making him the world's most-expensive defender.
Manchester City spent £78m to sign Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig last summer. Chelsea also coughed up a £70m fee to lure Wesley Fofana to Stamford Bridge from Leicester City a year earlier.
The report claims Everton value Branthwaite in that territory after his sensational breakthrough season at Goodison Park.
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Branthwaite formed a strong partnership with James Tarkowski in the heart of Dyche's defence, making 41 appearances in all competitions.
He ranked joint-top for tackles made by Premier League defenders (66) and third for interceptions (50), reportedly also catching the eye of Man City and Newcastle United.
But his links to a switch to Old Trafford have been the most prominent, and they were intensified by Raphael Varane announcing his departure as a free agent at the end of June.
United have prioritised signing a long-term successor but may have to look elsewhere if Everton don't budge on his £80m price tag.
