Man Utd return with improved bid for Jarrad Branthwaite as Mason Greenwood closes in on £27m Marseille transfer

According to the Daily Mail, United have offered Everton a £50 million ($64m) package for Branthwaite - £45m plus £5m in add-ons. It comes as the Old Trafford club look increasingly likely to pocket £27m (£34.6m) from selling Mason Greenwood to Marseille, including a substantial sell-on clause, that will boost the summer transfer budget.

A first offer for Branthwaite worth £38m and a further £5m in add-ons has already been rejected. The improved bid still falls dramatically short of an asking price thought to be north of £70m and up to £75m ($96m), and is expected to also be turned down. Where it could benefit United is if it helps unsettle the player, who is believed to be interested in the opportunity of a transfer. Centre-back Matthijs de Ligt and forward Joshua Zirkzee both also look like deals increasingly expected to happen.

Branthwaite is under contract with Everton until the summer of 2027 thanks to a long-term deal signed just nine months ago. It gives the Toffees a strong position from which to negotiate as there is no looming threat of free agency any time soon. Their valuation is also thought to be influenced by United's capture of fellow centre-back Harry Maguire from Leicester in 2019.

Branthwaite potentially faces a nervous wait and period of uncertainty over the coming month as United attempt to convince Everton to drop the premium asking price. With pre-seasons up and down the country beginning this week, the start of the new Premier League campaign is not far away on August 16-18, while the transfer window remains open until August 30.