“LATEST TRANSFER WAR ERUPTS! Premier League Giant and Everton at Odds Over The STOPPER Valuation, Deal Hangs in Balance as the Toffees Were Told to be….

According to a report from The Mirror, Manchester United have urged Everton to be “realistic” in their valuation of Jarrad Branthwaite and have stood firm on their initial offer for the young defender.

The Red Devils believe that profit and sustainability constraints in the current climate mean that clubs can no longer justify exorbitant transfer fees like the record £80 million they paid for Harry Maguire back in 2018.

However, it appears that the crux of the issue lies in Everton’s apparent reluctance to part ways with Branthwaite.

The Toffees’ insistence on accepting only a top offer seems to be a strategic move to convey their lack of desire to facilitate a deal for the promising center-back.

While clubs typically aim to secure their transfer targets at reduced prices, Manchester United’s current financial situation may limit their ability to meet Everton’s demands, unless the Merseyside club experiences a sudden change of heart ahead of the June 30th accounting deadline due to Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) concerns.

Despite the impact of PSR on the transfer market landscape, Everton’s asking price for Branthwaite does not appear unreasonable, even if they were open to selling.

The 21-year-old has strung together back-to-back impressive campaigns as a regular starter in the Eredivisie with PSV and the Premier League with Everton, earning a call-up to the England national team along the way.

Branthwaite’s age, physical attributes, including his height, left-footedness, and comfort on the ball, make the interest from Manchester United unsurprising.

If United genuinely covet the defender, they will likely recognize privately why Everton are reluctant to lose him, especially when the potential sale of Amadou Onana seems to be gaining momentum concurrently [The Times, 14 June].

As it stands, there appears to be little appetite for compromise on Branthwaite’s price tag from Everton’s perspective, suggesting that Manchester United may need to reassess their approach if they wish to secure the highly-rated center-back’s services.