Jarrad Branthwaite 'full of confidence' as defender hints at Everton stay after Man Utd see two offers rejected

The Red Devils had marked Branthwaite as a key target for the summer transfer window following his impressive performances at Goodison Park - which earned him the accolades of Everton’s Players’ Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season. However, Everton turned down two offers from the Premier League giants as they remained firm on their valuation between £70 million ($90m) and £80 million ($103m).

The Red Devils backed out at £46 million ($60m) and consequently shifted their focus to Leny Yoro, an 18-year-old who has since joined Old Trafford on a £52m ($67m) deal from Lille. With the transfer bids behind them, Branthwaite has joined his teammates in their pre-season preparations. The club’s social media team shared a series of images of the defender engaging in various training activities, signalling his involvement with the team. The post was captioned "JB." showing Branthwaite in the gym, on the training field, and performing ball work.

Branthwaite also sat with the club's media to outline his ambitions for the next season where he dismissed any speculation about leaving the club this summer.

"I think for me it's just about taking what I learned from last season, and the season before, and putting it all together," he told the club's official website.

"I think last season, playing all the games I did helped me put performances in and get the experience I needed. I'm going to take that into this season and keep learning. When you’ve got a good defensive record, it gives you confidence going into the new season. It’s not just the defenders who contribute to that, it’s the whole team and it’s the way the manager has us set up to give us the best possible chance to win games and to pick up as many points as we can. I think it’ll be the same again this season. Hopefully, we can pick up a few wins early on and get the momentum going in the new season.”

After missing out on Branthwaite, United continue to track additional defensive reinforcements, with Bayern Munich's Matthijs de Ligt on their radar. However, after signing Joshua Zirkzee and Yoro, any further purchases will reportedly require United to balance their books by selling current squad members to comply with financial regulations.