Perfect update for Man Utd, Arsenal as Prem rivals reluctantly greenlight massive £150m double exit

Manchester United and Arsenal will be delighted amid claims Everton are ‘expected’ to sell star defender Jarrad Branthwaite and one of his classy team-mates this summer.

Everton spent just £1million when signing Branthwaite from Carlisle in January 2020, with the transfer proving to be a masterstroke. The centre-back has developed hugely since Sean Dyche’s arrival at Goodison Park and is now one of the first names on the team sheet.

Branthwaite has played a full 90 minutes in all but one of Everton’s Premier League games since August 20, and he only missed the 2-0 win over Burnley on December 16 due to a suspension.

Dyche is benefitting hugely from having Branthwaite in his squad, though the player’s top performances do have one down side. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has identified the defender as one of his main summer targets as he looks to take Man Utd back to Premier League glory.

According to the latest from Football Insider, Man Utd have a good chance of landing Branthwaite this summer, too. That is because Everton are ‘expected’ to sell both him and Amadou Onana in order to help balance the books.

The Toffees have already been handed a 10-point deduction by the Prem, though they could face even more financial issues if they do not sell some of their best players. Everton know that Branthwaite and Onana have picked up plenty of interest in recent months and have therefore decided to offload them, albeit reluctantly.

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It has previously been claimed that Everton will demand a huge £100m to sell Branthwaite, though Man Utd will clearly try to push them down from this asking price.

For Onana, meanwhile, a switch to Arsenal could be beckoning. Mikel Arteta is a big fan of the 22-year-old and wants him to become a midfield replacement for ageing duo Thomas Partey and Jorginho.

Man Utd, Arsenal to benefit from Everton stance

Partey has spent a majority of the campaign out injured, which has forced Arteta into a rethink. Jorginho has performed very well in recent weeks but is now 32 years old, which means it might not be too long before he hangs up his boots.

Onana has performed brilliantly in the top flight since joining Everton from Lille in August 2022, which has prompted Arsenal to set their sights on him as a top target.

Over the weekend, it was revealed that Chelsea are also interested in landing the Belgian, with both London clubs reportedly ‘in talks’ over his signing. Everton want at least £50m to sell Onana, though they might hold out for between £60-70m.

But there are two reasons why Onana is highly likely to choose Arsenal over Chelsea. The first is that Chelsea already have plenty of midfielders in their squad, including Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher, with the latter remaining at Stamford Bridge despite picking up winter interest.

In contrast, Arsenal’s clear need for a new midfielder means Onana is far more likely to walk into their starting eleven and play regularly.

Plus, Arsenal and Chelsea are currently miles apart in terms of league position. While Chelsea are languishing in 11th place, Arsenal currently occupy third spot and are firmly in the mix for the title.

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