Manchester United have agreed personal terms with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, ahead of a summer move.
Manchester United’s key summer target in central defence is up and coming star Jarrad Branthwaite.
The Times reported late last week Manchester United had agreed a salary with Branthwaite of around £150,000 per week to £160,000 per week.
United are negotiating with Everton at present, with the two clubs struggling to agree a fee. There is plenty of time left to strike a deal.
READ: Who is Jarrad Branthwaite? Everything you need to know…
What Manchester United wage offer to Branthwaite means
Jarrad Branthwaite, 21, is a rising star, one who Manchester United believe can be a mainstay in central defence for a decade.
Manchester United’s salary offer of around £150,000 might seem high for a player of his age, but it’s not excessive either, given the team’s wage structure.
We spoke to TBR Football Finance Expert Adam Williams to get a breakdown of what the salary offer means for United’s current wage turnover in 2024.
He explained: “I think it’s helpful to compare this deal to one that I would consider roughly analogous, which is the contract United handed Harry Maguire when they signed him in 2019.
“Both players are English and were similar ages when they signed for the club. And Branthwaite’s mooted £70m asking price is in the same ballpark as the sum United paid for Maguire.
“United’s wage bill has fluctuated in those five years but, at £331m in the most recent financial year on record, is now almost exactly the same as it was in 2019.
“Maguire’s deal was worth just shy of £200,000 per week, while Branthwaite is being linked with a £150,000-a-week contract.
“I think the margin between the two deals is emblematic of the direction that United want to take with their wage budget under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
“He wants to implement a wage structure that incentivises players to perform instead of giving them huge base salaries as they have done in the past.
“This shields the club from risk, guaranteeing that the wage bill be tied to success on the pitch and will therefore only rise when United can afford it to do so.
“That’s a big plus in terms of Profit and Sustainability Rules and the incoming squad cost control ratio too.”
- READ MORE: Manchester United Player Wages 2023/24
High earners being moved off United wage bill
Ultimately, Manchester United are looking to be more cautious under Ineos, and high earners are gradually being removed from the wage bill.
Raphael Varane, Anthony Martial and Brandon Williams are being released, creating a saving of £600,000 per week.
Last year David de Gea’s £375,000 per week salary was also cut from the wage bill when he was released.
This summer, United are looking to cash in on Casemiro and Jadon Sancho, which is just as much about getting rid of their salaries as it is to land a high fee.
New signings will be brought in, but United are not expected to chase big names, instead, signings will be brought in on mid-range salaries similar to the deal Branthwaite looks set to sign.