Jarrad Branthwaite update as 3rd bid emerges after Everton reject Manchester United twice
Manchester United are due to return with a third bid for Jarrad Branthwaite despite being rejected twice by Everton, The Times reports.
According to the paper’s website on 9 July, the day after the second offer worth a total of £50million arrived from Old Trafford, only to be turned down, that United still hope to reduce the Toffees’ £70m asking price, which they are unwilling to match.
But despite this, while pursuing moves for both Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt and Lille’s Leny Yoro, and with Kevin Thelwell having manoeuvred Everton into a position where they believe they are compliant with profit and sustainability rules the Branthwaite chase is set to continue.
Manchester United are prepared to give Branthwaite, 22, a £160,000-a-week contract if they sign him, as manager Erik ten Hag wants the left-footed centre-back for a “pivotal” season after which he almost lost his job.
Everton likely to sell Amadou Onana and Dominic Calvert-Lewin
It remains to be seen whether Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have genuine reason to believe the Toffees will soon cave on their valuation of Branthwaite but there haven’t been any indications to that effect so far.
Albert Einstein may not have said the quote often attributed to him that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” [History.com], but it springs to mind here.
Everton are widely reported to want a fee in the region of £70m if they are to be forced to let a player go who they want to keep, so repeated bids below that seem more likely to strengthen that resolve than weaken it.
They no doubt feel differently at Old Trafford but Branthwaite’s asking price doesn’t seem extortionate when it reflects the fact that the Toffees don’t want to sell.
The England international himself is said to be very keen on the move [Give Me Sport, 9 July] but is equally not expected to agitate in order to force it through.
And with the likes of Amadou Onana and Dominic Calvert-Lewin expected to be sold this summer there does not look like being a financial imperative to cash in on the prize centre-back.
The striker has rejected the offer of a new deal and amid additional interest in him from Old Trafford looks the more likely to head to Manchester this summer [TEAMtalk, 9 July].
It is possible that a crucial factor changes the situation at some point before the close of the window, but with the second bid quickly rejected it is hard to see how a third will fare any better at this stage.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are posing a serious transfer threat to a European club amid the race for another new signing.
For more Everton news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.