July 8th 2024.
According to recent reports, Manchester United is making moves to secure Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite by submitting an improved second bid for the talented centre-back. With the departure of Raphael Varane, the Red Devils have made it a top priority to sign a new central defender. While Bayern Munich's Matthijs De Ligt has sparked interest, United is also looking into the possibility of signing Branthwaite, who just narrowly missed out on a spot in Gareth Southgate's 26-man squad for Euro 2024. His impressive performance in the Premier League last season has caught the attention of many teams.
Everton values Branthwaite at a hefty £70 million, and they have already rejected an initial offer from United. However, the Red Devils have not given up and have now come back with an improved bid. The Daily Mail reports that the new offer includes £45 million plus an additional £5 million in add-ons. While this figure still falls short of Everton's valuation, agreeing on personal terms with the 21-year-old is not expected to be a problem in a potential deal.
Aside from Branthwaite, United is also considering other options to strengthen their defense. Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo, and Lille's 18-year-old Leny Yoro are all on the shortlist of potential targets. It's clear that Manchester United is determined to fortify their defense for the upcoming season.
In other news, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are on the lookout for a new striker to support Rasmus Hojlund. While Ivan Toney and Jonathan David have been linked to the club, it seems that Bologna's Joshua Zirkzee is now the front-runner. United is prepared to activate Zirkzee's €40 million release clause and pay an additional €15 million in commission to the player's representative, Kia Joorabchian. Talks with AC Milan were stalled due to this commission, but it looks like United is willing to pay the amount to secure Zirkzee's talents.
Currently at Euro 2024 with the Netherlands, Zirkzee was asked about his future by reporters. When questioned if he will continue playing in Italy next season, he responded, "I don't know, let's see." When pressed further if there was a 50% chance of him staying, Zirkzee simply replied, "Let's see." It seems that the young striker is keeping his options open for now.
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