Everton can't believe what Manchester United just did as £62m deal agreed

Everton’s stance over selling Jarrad Branthwaite to Manchester United has reportedly been ‘emboldened’ by the Red Devils’ £62m deal to bring highly-rated defender Leny Yoro to Old Trafford.

United beat Real Madrid and Liverpool to Yoro’s signature, as they signed him from Lille for an initial £52m with the rest of the agreed fee to come if relevant add-ons are met. This came after the Red Devils saw two bids for Branthwaite rejected by the Toffees, with the highest offer coming in at £50m.

According to the Manchester Evening News, Everton have been left baffled by the price United have paid for Yoro - given his age and experience compared to Branthwaite. The Frenchman is yet to appear for France at senior level while Branthwaite earned his first England call-up back in March. Yoro was due to be out of contract at Lille next summer, with Madrid initially waiting to make their move in 12 months so they could secure him on a free transfer. However, after a change of heart from the player - he opted to make the move to Old Trafford after initially preferring a move to the Spanish capital.

Reports from the Daily Star in May revealed Ratcliffe was ‘not prepared to be held to ransom’ by Everton and that they would pursue other targets if a deal could not be agreed for Branthwaite. The centre-back is valued at around £70m by the Toffees and is under contract until the summer of 2027. Their valuation of the player is said to be based on transfer fees for other centre-backs in the Premier League with Harry Maguire joining United for £80m from Leicester City while Foxes received £75m for Wesley Fofana from Chelsea. The Goodison Park club do need to sell players this summer to help keep themselves in compliance with Profit and Sustainability rules after being hit with two points deductions last season.

Ben Godfrey and Lewis Dobin have moved on for around £11m and £9m respectively while Amadou Onana is close to completing a £50m move to Aston Villa. Everton were not going to let United exploit their financial situation, as they continue to hold firm over Branthwaite. It remains to be seen if the Old Trafford club will return with a third bid for Branthwaite as they are also keen on sealing a deal Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt.

Amid the interest from United, Branthwaite has been speaking to the Everton website ahead of the club’s pre-season fixtures. Looking ahead to next campaign, he said: “I think for me it's just about taking what I learned from last season, and the season before, and putting it all together. I think last season, playing all the games I did helped me put performances in and get the experience I needed. I'm going to take that into this season and keep learning.

“When you’ve got a good defensive record, it gives you confidence going into the new season. It’s not just the defenders who contribute to that, it’s the whole team and it’s the way the manager has us set up to give us the best possible chance to win games, and to pick up as many points as we can. I think it’ll be the same again this season. Hopefully, we can pick up a few wins early on and get the momentum going in the new season.”