Manchester United in hugely substantial Jarrad Branthwaite update as Everton star to be sold
Amadou Onana’s Everton exit will effectively end Manchester United’s hopes of signing Jarrad Branthwaite, according to David Ornstein.
The Athletic journalist reported on 13 July that the Belgian international is set to move to Aston Villa in a deal worth approximately £50million.
That move now means that only “hugely substantial” offers for England defender Branthwaite will now alter the Toffees’ stance that they will not sell, according to Ornstein on the Athletic’s website.
Two bid have already been rejected with United’s best offer so far totalling £50m when Everton have maintained throughout they want around £70m to sell the 22-year-old.
Everton set to sell Amadou Onana to Aston Villa
Branthwaite’s status at Goodison Park has remained pretty constant throughout the transfer window despite the overtures from Old Trafford.
A third bid was expected to arrive from INEOS [Times, 9 July] but that would appear to futile unless it were to match the asking price.
If selling Lewis Dobbin and Ben Godfrey helped avoid the need to sacrifice the centre-back to Manchester prior to the 30 June accounting cut-off point then big exits after that date always were likely to do the same.
The variable in any transfer window is that planned sales don’t necessarily always materialise so had interest in Onana not translated into a suitable bid then it may have forced a rethink.
Sean Dyche won’t be able to guarantee he has his star defender in the squad next season until the deadline passes but securing a reasonable deal for Onana makes it far more likely.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s rejection of a new Goodison Park contract makes his exit likely as well [TEAMtalk, 9 July] and would only make holding onto Branthwaite all the more vital.
Onana’s departure isn’t such a blow when he wasn’t a certain starter under Dyche late last season but losing Calvert-Lewin would be.
He is also liked at Old Trafford so may now end up making the move that Branthwaite is being kept away from.
Kevin Thelwell appears to be lining up Chelsea players as replacements for both Onana and Calvert-Lewin as a loan move for Lesley Ugochukwu is in the offing [Foot Mercato, 13 July] and permanent transfer talks have been held for Armando Broja [Ben Jacobs, 9 June].
In other Everton news, the Toffees are now close to doing a deal to make another permanent signing this summer.
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