Club’s financial troubles could see United reap the benefits with cut-price fee for £80m-valued starlet

Manchester United have been heavily linked with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite across the 2023/2024 campaign.

With Premier League safety secured for another season, the Toffees will be on cloud nine from now until the summer.

It was an emphatic evening on Merseyside last Wednesday when the Blues were able to clinch a victory 14 years in the making at Goodison as they overturned bitter rivals Liverpool 2-0, dealing Jurgen Klopp’s side yet another hammer blow to their title hopes.

The opener came courtesy of a scrappy goal from Branthwaite, who capitalised on a set piece by being in the right place at the right time to pounce on a loose ball and send it squirming underneath Alisson Becker before reeling off to celebrate with the Everton faithful.

Aside from his contribution, the centre-half put in yet another spirited shift alongside James Tarkowski, ensuring the likes of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Luis Diaz didn’t get a sniff of Jordan Pickford’s goal.

It’s such performances that have caught the eye of the United hierarchy time and time again. Now, as we approach the summer window, they’ll likely be mulling over how they plan to test Everton’s resolve and see them cut ties with the 21-year-old talent.

Reds eyeing cut-price Branthwaite fee

The Old Trafford outfit might be able to capitalise on the side’s precarious financial position, too, given that Everton have already been docked eight points for two separate breaches of the league’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.

In order to balance the books this time around, the board may have to sanction the exits of some of their most valuable assets, and they’ll be well aware that Branthwaite, whom they value in the region of £80 million (The Sun, cited by TNT Sports), falls under that category.