‘140 billion ransom’ bid for CB→Everton “This is a mockery!”
Manchester United have made a formal offer for Jared Branswaite, but Everton’s offer has offended them.
“Manchester United have made their first formal approach for the signing of Jared Branswaite, but Everton have taken their offer as a mockery,” the Telegraph reported on Friday.
At the end of the 2023-24 season, the Red Devils were targeting Everton’s 2002-born English center back to bolster their defense.
Branswaite has become a first-team center back in the Premier League at a young age. He started 35 of Everton’s 38 league games in 2023-24, scoring three goals, and is regarded as a talent who will anchor the Everton and England defense.
Branswaite’s defensive excellence has helped Everton stay in the top flight this season, despite being docked points for breaching PSR rules twice.
“This season, Branswaite has been in the top 10 in the Premier League for clearances, dribble interceptions, and interceptions,” said The Athletic, explaining that “Everton averaged 1.3 points and 1.3 goals conceded per game when Branswaite was on the pitch.” “Without him, Everton’s points per game dropped to 1 and goals conceded rose to 1.7.
According to soccer stats site FutbolScore.com, Branswaite has the second-most interceptions (50) of any player under the age of 21 playing in Europe’s top five leagues this season (English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, and French Ligue 1).
Branswaite’s stellar performance earned him a call-up to the England national soccer team. Although he failed to make the final roster for the UEFA European Football Championship 2024 in Germany, he was included in the reserve squad and made his A-match debut in a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Branswaite’s rise to prominence has made big Premier League clubs salivate. United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and even Real Madrid were reportedly attracted to Branswaite for a number of reasons, including the fact that he is a rare breed of left-footed center back who is an English national, his 6-foot-4 frame, his ability to dominate aerial battles, and his tackling ability.
Tottenham, who are also home to South Korea’s national soccer team captain Son Heung-min, were also reportedly interested in signing him, but for now, Branswaite is 스포츠토토 very close to joining United.
For now, United and Branswaite have reportedly reached a personal agreement. According to the Times, Branswaite has agreed to a £150,000-a-week deal worth $263.7 million. “Branswaite has already agreed personal terms with United,” the Telegraph reported.
However, United put the brakes on negotiations between the clubs. Everton made a formal offer in an attempt to finalize the deal, but the fee they offered fell far short of what the Toffees were asking for.
“Branswaite has agreed personal terms with United but Everton have not authorized the move,” the Telegraph explained, adding that “United have made an opening bid of up to £43 million ($75.5 million) for Branswaite.”
“United have now made their first formal approach with a bid that is understood to be for a base fee of £35 million and an option of £8 million,” the outlet added, “but Everton believe the offer is a mockery.”
According to the outlet, Everton’s asking price for Branswaite would be in the neighborhood of Yoshiko Gvardiol (Manchester City), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), and Wesley Fofana (Chelsea).
All three are well-known defenders with astronomical transfer fees. Maguire set a new transfer record for a defender in the summer of 2019 for £80 million, while Croatian defender Gvardiol joined City for £77 million last summer. Fofana, who joined Chelsea from Leicester City in the summer of 2022, also cost £70 million.
With Everton wanting at least 100 billion for the transfer, United are not willing to meet Everton’s demands. “Everton are not willing to sell 파워볼사이트 추천 Branswight on the cheap, but United sources say they are unwilling to raise the asking price to £70 million,” the publication said.
“The Toffees’ new hierarchy, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is determined to end an era in which the club was often accused of overspending on players.”
One of the biggest problems for United, who finished eighth in the Premier League in 2023-24, has been defensive insecurity.
This season, United conceded a total of 85 goals in all competitions, the most in a single season in the club’s 146-year history. They also lost 14 of their first 38 league games to set a new single-season Premier League record for most league losses since the league’s inception in 1992. United’s previous single-season Premier League record was 12 losses (2013-2014 and 2021-2022).
Injuries have been one of the reasons why Premier League giants Manchester United have conceded an uncharacteristically high number of goals. The Red Devils have struggled at the back over the past year with injuries to the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof.
With so many injuries, the midfielder Casemiro has been forced to play center back. “The injuries have been really bad,” said United manager Eric ten Haag. I’ve changed the center-back duo 15 times this season, and I’ve changed the backline 33 times,” he said. And with Raphael Varane leaving the club at the end of the season, signing a defender was no longer an option, but a necessity.
United decided to sign Everton center back Branswight as part of their defensive improvements. With a tug-of-war over the transfer fee now underway, it will be interesting to see if the two sides can come to an agreement.