Fabrizio Romano hands Man Utd damning blow with Prem star in advanced talks over new contract
Pedro Neto of Wolves battles Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite
Manchester United will find it tough to snare defender Jarrad Branthwaite away from Everton as he is in the ‘final stages’ of agreeing a new contract with his current club, according to trusted source Fabrizio Romano.
Branthwaite is a product of the Carlisle academy who signed for Everton in January 2020. He had a loan spell at Blackburn before heading to PSV in a surprise transfer last season.
The centre-back excelled in the Netherlands, becoming an important part of the PSV first team and making 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals in that time.
Former PSV manager Ruud van Nistelrooy even labelled Branthwaite the ‘complete defender’ in February. That came after shock reports revealed both Man Utd and Liverpool to be interested in snapping him up.
The 21-year-old returned to Everton over the summer and is now aiming to make a big impact for the Toffees. After beginning the campaign on the bench, Branthwaite has now started each of Everton’s last five league fixtures.
His growing status in the Prem has seemingly heightened the interest from Man Utd. Erik ten Hag is eager to take Branthwaite to Old Trafford as a replacement for £80million flop Harry Maguire.
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But Everton will not give up their player without a fight. On September 27, The Athletic revealed club chiefs at Goodison Park had begun contract renewal talks with Branthwaite and his agent to tie him down to a new, long-term deal. His current contract expires in June 2025.
And those discussions appear to have gone smoothly. Providing an update on Twitter, Romano wrote: ‘Jarrad Branthwaite, close to signing new deal at Everton — agreement now at final stages.’
Sean Dyche weighs in on Man Utd target’s future
Everton boss Sean Dyche was also asked about the England U21 international’s contract negotiations ahead of his team’s league game against Bournemouth on Saturday. Dyche confirmed the reports are true by saying: “I think things are probably close now, we have been speaking to him for a while.”
If Everton had not moved to extend Branthwaite’s contract, then Man Utd would have been able to potentially capture him for a reduced price at the end of the season.
But should Branthwaite’s fresh terms reach completion, then Everton will be protected for a longer period of time. They will therefore be able to demand a high price if Man Utd come calling.
A switch to Man Utd will be appealing to Branthwaite as it would give him the chance to play for one of the most high-profile clubs in the world, as well as feature in European competitions.
Although, Ten Hag does already have Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Maguire in his squad, which means Branthwaite might not play as much if he joined the Red Devils.
As such, it might be best for Branthwaite to see if Everton improve over the next season or two before potentially joining Man Utd. This will give him the chance to continue developing by playing week in, week out, before taking the next step in his career.
