Man Utd finally advance towards De Ligt deal but Everton hand Ratcliffe another Branthwaite setback

Manchester United have made progress in their bid to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich, though Sean Dyche is determined not to see Jarrad Branthwaite leave Everton for Old Trafford.

Man Utd kickstarted their revamp under Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS by signing Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee and French defender Leny Yoro in deals worth £36million and £59m respectively. Yoro has unfortunately suffered an injury in pre-season, but even before that issue Man Utd were on the hunt for another new central defender.

Ratcliffe’s top two targets for the position are De Ligt of Bayern and Everton star Branthwaite.

Man Utd have agreed personal terms with both players as they are attracted by the possibility of shining at the Theatre of Dreams.

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However, as Ratcliffe is refusing to overpay for players, as Man Utd have done in the past, deals for De Ligt and Branthwaite have been hard to come by.

Bayern are holding out for €50m (£42m) before selling their Dutch star, whereas Man Utd would rather pay around £34m.

Man Utd have also had two bids rejected for Branthwaite and have got nowhere near Everton’s £70-75m asking price for the Englishman.

There has now been a double update on Man Utd’s transfer plans. According to The Telegraph, Ratcliffe and the rest of the Man Utd hierarchy will ‘accelerate’ their pursuit of a new centre-back in the aftermath of Yoro’s injury blow.

Man Utd transfers: De Ligt to join but Branthwaite staying put?

The report states that Man Utd are getting closer to forging an agreement for De Ligt, as there are ‘the makings of a deal in place’ for the 24-year-old.

It is unclear exactly how much Man Utd will pay for De Ligt, should the two clubs finally agree a deal. But Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Man Utd could get closer to Bayern’s £42m asking price by adding to their £34m proposal with bigger bonus clauses.

While De Ligt is edging closer to a reunion with his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, Branthwaite looks more and more likely to stay at Goodison Park.

The impressive 22-year-old is ready to reject a new contract offer from Everton, but he can do little about the Toffees’ major asking price as his current deal runs until June 2027.

Everton have brought in another centre-half this summer, capturing Jake O’Brien from Lyon for £17m.

O’Brien’s transfer has led to speculation that he might be a replacement for Branthwaite. But Everton boss Dyche is having none of it.

When asked about O’Brien’s arrival potentially allowing Branthwaite to leave, the manager sarcastically replied: “No way! You’re kidding me! I’m very surprised you’ve put two and two together at Everton Football Club.

“It’s nothing to do with that. It’s just to do with trying to model the club with the finances available. Obviously we’re stretched at the moment with depth.

“No way! You’re kidding me! I’m very surprised you’ve put two and two together at Everton Football Club.

“It’s nothing to do with that. It’s just to do with trying to model the club with the finances available. Obviously we’re stretched at the moment with depth.

“It’s a tough juggling act and it’s tough to find the players who can do that. We think we have a few here.

“We’ve made it clear to him [Branthwaite] that there’s nothing other than that. But of course put two and two together and everyone starts speculating. What do you do?”

New striker could be signed too

Interestingly, The Telegraph’s report adds that Man Utd could ‘accelerate’ a move for a new striker too after Rasmus Hojlund got injured in pre-season as well.

Brentford ace Ivan Toney and Branthwaite’s Everton team-mate Dominic Calvert-Lewin are two options who have been mooted as Ratcliffe looks to find an experienced Premier League striker for Man Utd.

Meanwhile, former Man Utd striker Michael Owen has given his verdict on the club’s hunt for a new centre-back and the possibility of De Ligt arriving.

“Manchester United were probably light at the back last season and Jonny Evans played more games than any other centre-half, which just shows you that they need to strengthen in that position given his age as well as Raphael Varane leaving and injury problems for Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire,” Owen said.

“You would say that United probably need to sign a centre-half, absolutely. A couple of years ago you would’ve thought that De Ligt was going to be an absolute superstar.

“He stuttered a little bit, but I do think Manchester United will be in the market for at least one centre-half this summer.”

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