Manchester United and Manchester City are reportedly locked in a race to sign Everton's highly-rated young defender, Jarrad Branthwaite. Bayern Munich is also in the mix, signaling a potential summer scramble for the English international.
Branthwaite has cemented his status as one of the Premier League's top emerging defenders with consistently strong performances for Everton. This has naturally attracted significant attention from some of Europe's biggest clubs.
According to a report from The Daily Mail, all three clubs are closely monitoring the 23-year-old. A move could be on the cards this summer, particularly if any of their key defenders decide to move on.
While Everton would prefer to keep Branthwaite, they might be persuaded to let him go for a fee around £70 million. After a successful loan spell at PSV Eindhoven in the 2022/23 season, he seized his opportunity in the Everton first team and hasn't looked back since.
Despite a recent hamstring injury that limited him to just 10 appearances during the 2025/26 season, the interest in his services remains incredibly high. Bayern Munich sees him as a potential ideal replacement for Kim Min-jae, whose future is uncertain. Manchester United has had Branthwaite on their radar for a while, considering him a smart investment given Harry Maguire's advancing career and Matthijs de Ligt's fitness struggles.
Manchester City also has a long-standing interest and could make a move if Ruben Dias were to depart. While all three giants are keen to add Branthwaite to their squads, it remains to be seen if they will meet Everton's substantial valuation.
