Manchester United are lining up a £34m bid for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, four years on from when was strongly linked to Rangers.
The Ibrox side were said to be one of a number of transfer suitors for the defender during his time with Carlisle United in the English lower leagues.
But as things would transpire Branthwaite wound up heading to Everton in the Premier League where he has now begun to turn some serious heads at the elite level of the game.
Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport claim that Manchester United are heading the queue for the 21-year-old England U21 international, with Real Madrid and Chelsea also interested.
Jarrad Branthwaite to Manchester United
It is claimed that Manchester United could launch a €40m (£34m) move to sign Jarrad Branthwaite before the end of the window with Everton up against it this season.
It’s said the Merseysiders want to delay any transfer until the summer with the club fighting for its Premier League status after being docked 10 points due to financial irregularities.
Rangers fans may well be ruing another one that got away in the shape of Jarrad Branthwaite, who has carved out an impressive career since those Ibrox links surfaced.
Having joined the Toffees in the January of 2020 as a 17-year-old, Branthwaite has spent successful stints out on loan at Blackburn Rovers and PSV Eindhoven before breaking into the club’s first-team.
The defender even came off the bench for PSV Eindhoven in the 2-2 Champions League playoff draw with Rangers back in 2022.
Rangers transfer reminder
The situation with Jarrad Branthwaite is a reminder to Rangers that there is gold in the English lower leagues as the club moves into different international transfer markets.
Incoming Director of Recruitment Nils Koppen is casting his net far and wide to find the best young talent on cut price deals who can go on to be a success at Rangers in several ways.
Firstly, Rangers need players who can deliver on the park and win the club trophies, but also off it in banking the club a fortune through player sales.
The likes of Mohamed Diomande, Jefte, and Oscar Cortes are certainly a step in the right direction but there is something to be said for the Jarrad Branthwaite types of this world.
If Rangers can secure young English talent early on their career – see the likes of Zak Lovelace – then squad registration rules give them a huge chance of banking big on a future sale to the Premier League.
