Manchester United are reportedly giving consideration to moving on from their pursuit of Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.
The Red Devils' new footballing operations team have been heavily linked with an approach for the recently-capped England international.
Branthwaite was part of a Toffees backline that recorded the fourth-best defensive record in the Premier League during 2023-24, subsequently boosting his valuation.
However, United and Everton are allegedly far apart in what they deem to be an acceptable figure for the 21-year-old, who has three years left on his contract.
While the Toffees are said to be eager to generate at least £70m from Branthwaite's sale, United are reportedly yet to show any willingness to go above £43m.
A recent report indicated that United are prepared to walk away from negotiations with their counterparts at the Merseyside outfit, and it appears that an alternative has been identified.
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Kilman remains on Man United radar
According to GIVEMESPORT, Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Max Kilman remains on the radar of United for the present time.
There have been times in recent transfer windows when United have been linked with the long-serving centre-back, who was named captain for the 2023-24 campaign.
However, despite interest from United, as well as Serie A giants Napoli, the 27-year-old has remained at Molineux where he is a certain starter under Gary O'Neil.
As it stands, though, there is a race on for his signature, with his former boss Julen Lopetegui seemingly keen to secure a reunion with Kilman at West Ham United.
Wolves will not be prepared to cash in on Kilman for anything less than £40m, yet their valuation is far lower than what Everton are demanding for Branthwaite.
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Tottenham Hotspur to make it three-way battle?
The same report claims that Tottenham Hotspur are also mulling over whether to commit to a big-money deal for Kilman.
Although Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are the standout pair in Ange Postecoglou's defence, the North Londoners require extra competition in that area of the pitch.
Much may depend on whether Kilman is willing to risk only being regarded as a squad member at the aforementioned clubs, particularly when he has missed just one Premier League fixture during the past two campaigns.
Darren Plant
