‘Everton agreed Branthwaite deal after rejecting stupid Man United offers’
Manchester United have been heavily criticised for the way they are conducting their transfer business after missing out on a major target.
Ruben Amorim is currently in the middle of a major squad overhaul, after guiding the Red Devils to their worst-ever Premier League finish last season.
United have already brought in Matheus Cunha from Wolves, after triggering his £62.5million release clause.
They have also been heavily linked with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, as well as Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres.
However, Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that United made a big mistake in their recent pursuit of Toffees defender Jarrad Branthwaite.
Man United branded ‘ridiculous’ after Branthwaite failure
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted that Man United’s lowball offers for Branthwaite exposed them for being “stupid” in the transfer market.
The defender signed a contract extension with Everton on Wednesday (2 July), putting any chance of an Old Trafford switch to bed.
Wyness insisted that the Red Devils’ approach to negotiations made it easier for David Moyes’ side to come in and tie Branthwaite down to a new deal.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “For many weeks we’ve been talking about the Man United, Jim Ratcliffe situation.
“They made attempts to try and sign Jarrad Branthwaite. They came in lowball, they made some ridiculous offers, and it just exposed them for being really stupid in the way that they handle transfers.
“I think Jarrad is a perfect example of where they’ve made some big mistakes. There’s no doubt he would have been a huge asset for Man United, the sort of player they wanted.
“The way they messed up the negotiations meant it made it easier for Everton to come in and make a deal.”
Man United consider Toney move
Meanwhile, Man United are reportedly considering a “surprise” move to sign Ivan Toney from Al-Ahli this summer.
That is according to their former chief scout Mick Brown, who claims that the 29-year-old is interested in a return to England after one year in the Middle East.
There is a belief that Toney’s time at the top level of the game is not finished, while United scouts appreciate his goalscoring record in the Premier League.
The England international scored 30 goals and provided six assists across 44 appearances during the 2024-25 season and remains very highly-rated.
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