Everton star’s agent was pushing for a move to Manchester United – Report

However, everything indicates that the initiative came more from the player’s entourage than from the player himself. Brown explained that Everton was never willing to sell him and was asking for a very high fee, while Branthwaite never pushed to leave Goodison Park. As of today, his contract renewal seems imminent.

“I’m expecting Branthwaite to sign a new contract at Everton. A lot of the talk about potential transfers to this club and that club was agent-led. I’m told that he played quite a big role in the interest from Man United, because his agent has good connections at the club. He had been speaking to them about a deal, how much it would cost and all of that sort of thing. The interest was there, but how advanced it was is difficult to say because Everton were never keen to let him go and were demanding huge money. From the player’s point of view, he’s never pushed for a move, and he’s happy to stay there. It will be the best step for all parties if he commits to a new deal.”

Opinion:

Analysing whether United should insist on signing the Englishman requires looking at several angles. On the one hand, Branthwaite has interesting qualities: he is young, left-footed, with a perfect ability of a ball-playing defender and aerial presence, valuable attributes for a 3-4-2-1 formation like Ruben Amorim’s. He could fit the profile of a left-sided centre-back, freeing up Lisandro Martínez to take on other roles.

However, there is one key detail: signing a player with no clear ambition to leave rarely works out well. A defender who feels comfortable and valued at Everton could lose motivation if his transfer is perceived as being imposed by his agent. Furthermore, paying exorbitant fees would put more pressure on a club that have already made recent mistakes by relying on overly influential intermediaries.

Compared to other centre-backs who may be available, Branthwaite offers solidity and youth, but perhaps not the immediate leadership of an experienced defender who can take charge from day one. A strategic signing should go beyond an agent’s connection or an isolated conversation. Manchester United need defenders who push from within the dressing room, who feel the shirt and are ready to adapt to the demands of Amorim, who calls for concentration, orderly play and compact lines.

To that end, it would be wise to look at options that do not depend so much on the manoeuvring of agents. Insisting on Branthwaite, with Everton firm in their stance, seems a futile effort if the player prefers to stay. The club must learn from their past mistakes: not to repeat signings inflated by agents’ promises. Now it is time to sign those who dream of shining at Old Trafford and make it clear that they want to leap. Earlier, Manchester United were ready to pay £50 million for the Everton star.