Man Utd to sell England star to achieve Branthwaite breakthrough

Robin Bairner

• 3 Jul 2024 07:10 BST
• 3 min read

In order to sign Jarrad Branthwaite from Everton, Manchester United are ready to allow one of their prized assets to leave in the summer transfer market.

Man Utd are willing to allow Harry Maguire to depart the club for the second summer in succession after the England international came close to moving to West Ham United a year ago.

TalkSport confirms that Maguire will be allowed to leave, with the risk of losing him on a free transfer next summer very real.

READ MORE: Man Utd will make De Ligt the most expensive defender in history

Current ETV

Harry Maguire

D (C)

Man Utd

Harry Maguire

D (C)

Man Utd

€9.5M

ETV Range

€7.1M - €11.9M

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West Ham were previously linked with a renewed push for him, but these links have since gone quiet, and the report indicates that there is interest from Serie A clubs.

Maguire was signed by Man Utd in 2019 for €87 million – a fee that was a record for a centre-back at the time and has only been surpassed since by Josko Gvardiol’s transfer from RB Leipzig to Manchester City last summer.

The Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of the 31-year-old has since collapsed to just €9.5 million, although United will likely look for substantially more if they are to sell him this summer.

READ MORE: Premier League summer transfers 2024: All the Done Deals

United seek to fuel transfer bids

Any deal would likely part fund a transfer for another centre-back, with Branthwaite of Everton likely to be the player these funds would go towards.

Man Utd appear well-placed to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich, but this deal is thought to be independent from the Branthwaite deal, which is stalling over the fee the Red Devils are willing to pay the Toffees.

While Everton are asking for around €82m, United having only been willing to offer around €50m.

There is, after all, a need for additional cover at centre-back following the departure of Raphael Varane on a free transfer at the end of his contract.

United already found themselves short in that area last term, with Casemiro having to be used there at the end of the season as Maguire, Varane and Lisandro Martinez all missed out because of injuries.