Don Hutchison thinks Everton would end up receiving around £60-70million if they allow Jarrad Branthwaite to leave but slammed Manchester United's "ridiculous" offer.
It was reported that United had offered £35m for the sought-after centre-back having already agreed terms for the 21-year-old, which was rejected by the Toffees.
Speaking on ESPN FC (June 18), former Everton man Hutchison - now a prominent pundit for the likes of TNT Sport - said that United must significantly up there bid to get close to striking a deal.
Hutchison added that Blues fans would likely rather see midfielder Amadou Onana sold if it means they can keep Branthwaite, but didn't rule out United including a player like Harry Maguire as part of the deal [HITC].
He said: "£35million's a ridiculous offer, they're low-balling Everton massively. From a fan's point of view, they'd rather see Amadou Onana move on, keep (Jordan) Pickford, and keep Branthwaite.
“If they are to sell Branthwaite, they're rumoured to be wanting about £80 million. That'll probably come down to £60-70million, but they want a lot of money for him.”
“I think (Manchester United) will try and move Harry Maguire on; they might even use him in the Branthwaite deal if they tried to bring him in.”
Branthwaite is a player whom Everton want to keep more than most this summer, and that explains the huge price tag they've put on the 21-year-old's head to deter interest from Old Trafford.
Interestingly, the Toffees reportedly pointed to the £80million fee United paid Leicester City for Maguire back in 2019 as their reasoning, arguing it's the going rate for top-level centre-backs on the left side of defence [Liverpool Echo].
Maguire being offered as a makeweight to help the Red Devils secure Branthwaite's signature would therefore be an ironic move after five mainly underwhelming seasons at Old Trafford, and another out-of-favour centre-half in Victor Lindelof has also been mooted for a similar switch [HITC].
Either defender still won't make up for the value the Toffees feel they already have in 21-year-old Branthwaite, and they're instead much more likely to push a player like Onana closer to the exit door.
Onana has already inclined that he's putting himself in the shop window at Euro 2024, and if the Blues can seal a transfer for him before June 30, however unlikely, it could free up the finances to mean they don't need to sell Branthwaite whatsoever [Het Laatste Nieuws].
In other Everton news, a brand-new player contract could be announced within the next seven days.
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