Manchester United make lowball offer for Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite

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Manchester United initiated the bidding with an initial offer of £35m plus additional payments for Jarrad Branthwaite, but Everton is expected to decline the proposal.

The club from Merseyside's position is that they are not interested in parting ways with their 21-year-old defender and that they assess him to be worth a minimum of twice the amount offered by United.

United have moved quickly following the commencement of the transfer window and are eager to secure the services of the English player as their foremost acquisition during the Ineos period.

However, there is a significant difference between the value that Everton has set for Branthwaite and the sum that United is willing to offer.

Both teams are facing financial problems. Everton may have to sell players before June 30th because they did not comply with Financial Fair Play regulations in the past two seasons and also lost points due to different reasons in the last season.

United are in a tight spot as they've spent a lot of money in the past 24 months under Erik ten Hag's leadership, shelling out nearly £400m for new players. This means they won't have much flexibility unless they can generate revenue by offloading some of their current players. They're looking to unload Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood among others during this summer's transfer window.

This summer, they have prioritized getting a central defender as they have chosen not to extend Raphael Varane's contract. Last season, injuries affected their five primary centre-backs, causing problems.

According to Everton, Branthwaite is a valuable player due to his age of 21, as well as being a lefty at center-back and an England international. Hence, should he decide to leave, his worth should be considered as one of the highest-priced defenders in history.

In the meantime, Seamus Coleman, who holds the position of captain at Everton, has officially committed to a one-year contract that will ensure his presence at Goodison Park for his 16th consecutive season.