Everton have reportedly informed Manchester United that there will be no discount on their £80m valuation of Jarrad Branthwaite amid claims Sir Jim Ratcliffe is determined to sign the England squad defender, though his chances of a move have been aided after the Toffees set their sights on a Tottenham man as his replacement.
The Toffees maybe in financial difficulty but they will not accept a cut-price offer for their player of the season.
Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are also believed to be interested in acquiring the services of the former Carlisle United defender as are Real Madrid and Bayern Manchester City..
Carlisle are set to receive up to 15% of any fee that Everton gather for the player thanks to the sell-on-clause included in the deal that took Branthwaite to Goodison Park.
Reports suggest that Branthwaite is not putting pressure on the club to accept any offers despite the high-profile suitors who have come calling.
Branthwaite, who has been included in Gareth Southgate’s provisional England squad for the 2024 Euros, is contracted to Everton until June 2027.He played 41 matches for Everton across all competitions this season including 35 starts in the Premier League.
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Despite the intense interest in Branthwaite, Everton are yet to receive a serious offer for the player.
Should he feature for England in Germany this summer, Branthwaite might earn more interest and ramp up that asking price as well.
Manchester United – with new minority shareholder Ratcliffe a huge admirer – were believed to be hoping for a price around the £50m mark, but sources have told TEAMtalk that Everton are standing firm by their initial valuation, particularly at this early stage of the summer window.
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Former Tottenham defender among potential replacements for Branthwaite
Everton are believed to have joined the race to sign former Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez with Mason Holgate and Michael Keane possibly heading towards the exit as well.
