Everton may set a £50 million asking price for Manchester United target.

TEAMtalk journalist Dean Jones told GiveMeSport that United “definitely like” the 21-year-old and that he’s one of the few Premier League players who has piqued their interest.

Everton have financial difficulties, and selling a prospect for £50 million may appear to be good business, but fans will be concerned that losing Branthwaite will leave a significant vacuum in Sean Dyche’s side at a time when they may easily find themselves in another relegation scrap this season.

“You’d imagine like £50 million as a starting point for a player that is young, homegrown, and has a big future in the game,” Jones said of Branthwaite’s potential. Manchester United, on the other hand, adores him.

“He is one of the few players within the Premier League that they actually have an eye on for the future, but obviously Everton in the state they’re in right now, they can’t really contemplate a sale from a team perspective, and the fans will just hope that they’re not tempted to cash in.”

The Toffees will strive to improve their bookkeeping in the future to prevent further penalty from the Premier League for sustainability violations, having already been fined 10 points this season.

It remains to be seen which defenders Ten Hag will try to offload in the summer, as bringing in someone like Branthwaite may raise concerns about the future of some at Old Trafford.