Manchester United have agreed personal terms with Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite ahead of a possible summer move, according to reports.
The Red Devils must now agree a price with Everton and the Toffees want £70m to part ways with the 21-year-old England international, The Times have reported.
It would be a major signing for United after Sir Jim Ratcliffe made Branthwaite his No.1 choice for a new central defender in the summer transfer window.
Branthwaite has massively impressed at Everton since breaking into the first-team XI with the Englishman having made 54 appearances to date.
Jason Wilcox, United’s new technical director, may have played a role in getting personal terms agreed due to his close relationship with Branthwaite’s agent David Reeves.
Everton star Ashley Young feels Branthwaite has everything in his locker and can make the ‘step up’ should United get the deal done.
Asked if a move to United would represent too big a step for Branthwaite at this stage of his career, ex-United winger Young told talkSPORT: ‘I wouldn’t say so, no. Not at all.
‘I think he’s ready for the step up. Obviously there’s interest from other clubs that are finishing in the top half of the table.
‘Rightly so because I know what kind of player he is, where he can get to. I can see him, if it’s not with us at Everton, taking us further, then with a team that’s maybe offering him Champions League football.
‘He’s definitely a player that can go and play in the Champions League and play in the big tournaments.’
Not everyone is happy with United’s plan to get a deal done for Branthwaite with former Red Devil Jonathan Spector feeling the club should be aiming higher.
‘I haven’t seen a lot of Jarrad, but in the games I’ve seen him play, he’s done well,’ Spector said, speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk via BetUS, the home of American odds.
‘There is perhaps a level of comfort with a player that you see week-in week-out in the Premier League and knowing what he’s about, however I would say maybe United can aim a little higher in terms of the players that they are looking to bring in.’
Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher believes Gareth Southgate has made a mistake by not picking Branthwaite for England’s Euro 2024 squad.
Branthwaite featured in the provisional 33-man squad but did not make the final cut when it reduced down to 26.
‘Lots of bigger names than Jarrad Branthwaite have missed out on the England squad, but he should’ve been picked to go to Euro 2024,’ Carragher said. ‘He’s England’s present [and] future.’
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