Liverpool ‘to offer £70m’ in stunning late deal to ‘snatch’ Man Utd target with player ‘open to move’

Liverpool are set to make an offer for Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite after Man Utd failed to meet his asking price earlier in the summer, according to reports.

The Reds are yet to make a signing this summer after Arne Slot inherited a good squad off Jurgen Klopp when they German called it a day at Anfield at the end of last season.

There are still some weaknesses in the depth of Slot’s side with many concerned over their centre-back options if Virgil van Dijk or Ibrahima Konate spend any length of time on the sidelines.

Liverpool have been linked with a number of centre-backs this summer with one of the latest links claiming that Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie is towards the top of their list .

However, Everton centre-back Branthwaite has now emerged as an unlikely target with The Sun reporting that the England international is ‘open to the move and wants to play for a higher-profile club’.

Liverpool ‘want to snatch’ the defender from rivals Everton this summer and the Reds ‘will offer £63m plus £7m in add-ons to prise the centre-back across Stanley Park’.

The report adds :

‘He is under contract until 2027 on £60,000 a week but knows that his wages would treble if he left for Anfield.

‘Liverpool are growing in confidence that a deal can be done with Arne Slot believed to be a huge admirer of the budding England star.’

Man Utd missed out on signing Branthwaite earlier in the summer after failing to meet the Toffees’ valuation of the centre-back and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reckons it is more likely that the England international stays at Goodison Park for another season than moves to the Red Devils or Liverpool.

“I don’t think Manchester United will sign another centre-back, because with Branthwaite the message of Everton is that it has to be a fee similar to all of the other big centre-backs on the market in recent years,” Romano said earlier this week.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen, and for Liverpool at the moment I’m not aware of anything concrete, I think there is a good possibility for the player to stay at Everton one more season and then maybe move next summer. Everton are insisting that anyone who wants to sign the player has to pay something around £70m for Branthwaite, so it is going to be very difficult.”

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Liverpool legend John Barnes has warned Branthwaite against making a move to Old Trafford in the near future over their poor record of progressing young players.

Barnes told MyBettingSites.co.uk : “So what United have to do is to get that right before they’re talking about signing players for £70 million and young players who are inexperienced. He can’t go to United like Jadon Sancho went there for a big fee and the harmony isn’t right.

“So yeah, I think that for any player they have to think hard, hard about going to United. Particularly young players who are inexperienced.

“They have to think about whether they’re going to United at the wrong time. It’s a great club, but it just may be the wrong time. And if they’re looking for young players to come here to change that situation, that’s not what’s going to happen. The unity within the club from top to bottom has to change, fans included.”