Sir Jim Ratcliffe in talks as Man United update emerges over Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has held talks with senior figures at Manchester United about summer transfers with Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite top of the list of targets, according to the Daily Record.
Writing in their print edition (12 March, page 42), the Scottish news outlet report that the billionaire has made the 21-year-old Toffees defender his main target as he targets a rebuild of the squad at Old Trafford.
And he has held talks with people at the club about getting a deal done, with Everton potentially facing a situation where they are forced to sell at least one key player in the upcoming transfer window due to their own financial issues.
Manchester United must pay up or shut up
In recent years a host of Everton’s best players have been linked with a move away and for the most part the club have done well to keep them around.
Anthony Gordon kicked off to get his move to Newcastle and the club still held firm on their asking price for the most part, while the club did well to get £60m for Richarlison and £22m for Alex Iwobi to help ease the financial burden.
So if Man United are as desperate as it seems for Branthwaite to sign, then they will have to stump up the cash that makes it worthwhile to us to allow him to leave.
There has been talk of Everton wanting anything between £70-80m for 21-year-old Branthwaite and in the current market that seems more than fair when you consider his potential and quality already.
They’re being very vocal when it comes to this deal, but if they’re not going to pay up then it’s time for them to keep quiet. Everton have too much to focus on between now and the summer without being distracted by nothing transfer stories.
In other Everton news, Wayne Rooney shared a ‘Massive’ new Sean Dyche verdict in Everton relegation prediction.
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