Man Utd warned off of Jarrad Branthwaite as Everton insist they won't sell star defender

The Telegraph reported on Friday that Everton's failed takeover might cause United to renew their interest in Branthwaite, having seen two bids for the centre-back rejected by the Toffees. However, United have since been told by Everton that nothing has changed; they flat out refuse to sell the 22-year-old unless their valuation is met.

According to The Athletic, Everton have set Branthwaite's value in the same bracket as the transfer fees that Harry Maguire, Wesley Fofana and Josko Gvardiol commanded in recent years. That's around £70m-£80m ($90m-$103m). United's opening offer for the defender was a reported £35m ($45m) plus £8m ($10m) in add-ons, and they returned with a second bid of £45m ($58m) and £5m ($6m) in add-ons.

United's interest in Branthwaite hasn't waned despite the £52m (£68m) arrival of Leny Yoro, who impressed in his first pre-season outing on Saturday. However, they won't be signing the English defender unless Everton reduce their asking price.

INEOS will continue to improve Erik ten Hag's squad, with potential deals with Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte on the horizon. The Red Devils will soon fly out to the United States for their pre-season tour, where they will face Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool as well as La Liga's Real Betis.