£80m star open to move as Man United prepare summer swoop - report
Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite is open to making a summer move amid interest from Manchester United and other suitors, according to the Evening Standard.
The 21-year-old has a £80 million price tag and the Red Devils are interested in bringing him to Old Trafford with major squad changes on the cards.
Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans are set to leave as free agents when their contracts expire at the end of the season, while Victor Lindelof or Harry Maguire could be sold to make room for new signings.
Branthwaite has impressed suitors this term with his brilliant performances which have helped keep the Toffees up, and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on him.
Man United will hope they can convince the Englishman to join them instead, but Everton are not interested in selling one of their best players anytime soon and will be desperate to hold on to him beyond the summer transfer window.
They have been docked points for breaching the Premier League profit and sustainability rules but they have managed to balance the books and no longer need to cash in on their most valuable players.
However, a very juicy offer could be too big for them to turn down and Man United will hope they can tempt the Goodison Park club with their bid.
Whether the Red Devils are willing to pay up to £80m for someone with just one complete Premier League campaign under his belt remains to be seen, but being a homegrown player makes him very appealing to them.
Branthwaite also brings much-needed quality to the table and is expected to become a regular for the England national team going forward having already earned his maiden Three Lions call-up last month.
Man United will approach subsequent transfer windows with caution having spent millions over the last decade with next to nothing to show for it, and it will be intriguing to see the decisions they make this summer.