Liverpool and Manchester United have suffered a major blow in their pursuit of the services of Everton defensive ace Jarrad Branthwaite.
Liverpool and Manchester United are both interested in acquiring the services of Jarrad Branthwaite who has made quite a name for himself with his consistent performances for Everton.
Both Premier League giants are keen on his signature but according to a report from Football Insider, they have suffered a blow as the new owners of the Toffees don’t want to sell the English centre-back.
Branthwaite signed for Everton back in 2020. After a few loan spells away from the club in the initial years, he managed to establish himself in their first team during the 2023/24 season. His consistent performances resulted in a lot of interest from across Europe but the Merseyside club had no intentions of selling him.
Premier League giants want to sign Branthwaite
The 22-year-old central defender remains on the shortlist of multiple top clubs. Liverpool and Manchester United are two of those clubs. The Reds lack depth at the back and with Virgil van Dijk’s long-term future uncertain, they do need to add more quality to their backline.
While Manchester United signed Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro during the summer, they are still in the race for the services of Branthwaite. With Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans’ contract running out at the end of the season it does make sense. Both Premier League giants would love to sign him during the winter but that is unlikely to happen.
Liverpool and United receive a blow
Everton finally found new owners in The Friedkin Group who bought Farhad Moshiri’s 94% stake last month. The new owners are all set to bring their ideas to Goodison Park. They seem to have made their stance on the young central defender’s future quite clear.
The new owners do not want to sell Branthwaite and they will only consider letting him leave for a fee of around £75 million. It is extremely unlikely that they would let him leave in the upcoming window. Given The Friedkin Group’s firm stance, any interested club may need to turn to Everton next summer.
