Branthwaite stance puts Man Utd move back ON

Manchester United may have turned their attention away from Jarrad Branthwaite in the transfer market to some extent in recent weeks, but the Everton centre-back is doing his best to put himself back on the agenda at Old Trafford.

According to the Daily Mail, Branthwaite will not sign a new Everton contract unless they match the wages on offer to him at Old Trafford, opening the door to a move to Man Utd.

The Toffees have done their best to lock the 22-year-old down by placing an enormous €82 million (£70m) valuation on his head, and though the player is still under contract until 2027, they want to further insure against a transfer by extending that deal.

Branthwaite, though, is putting himself out of reach in that regard with his wage demands.

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Current ETV

ETV Range

€19.4M – €32.4M

Door open for Man Utd

Man Utd were offering him €190,000 (£160,000) per week at Old Trafford, and now the centre-back has told Everton the only way that he will put pen to paper is if they can match this salary.

The Toffees, though, are in significant financial strife, and while their immediate position has been guarded against being punished under the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), the longer term for the Merseyside club is less clear.

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The Mail does indicate that Man Utd “have stepped back from transfer talks for now”, with their discussions focussing on Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt in the meantime. Just as they failed to agree a transfer fee with Everton over Branthwaite, they have been unable to meet FCB’s requested price for the Netherlands star.

Although Leny Yoro has been signed in a blockbuster deal from Lille, the move for the Frenchman was always independent of a deal for Branthwaite or De Ligt, and with a deal for the Dutchman stalling, the Everton star could come back into focus – particularly if there is some animosity towards his club.