Everton tactic blamed for Jarrad Branthwaite snub amid Man United transfer rumours

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand thinks Everton's style of football is one of the contributing factors behind the decision to leave Jarrad Branthwaite out of the England squad.

The young centre-back enjoyed a remarkable breakthrough season with the Blues in 2023-24, developing a strong partnership with James Tarkowski at the base of the team. Only the top three teams in the league conceded fewer goals than Everton.

Branthwaite's performances have earned him two call-ups to the England senior squad and he made his debut in the 3-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in one of the warm-up fixtures for the upcoming European Championships.

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However, England boss Gareth Southgate decided not to include Branthwaite in his final squad, instead opting for the likes of Lewis Dunk, Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi.

Speaking on his FIVE YouTube show (h/t Metro), Ferdinand said the style of play England will look to use at the major tournament in Germany could be behind Southgate's decision.

"I don't see it as a surprise," said the ex-England captain. "The way that Branthwaite has played this season, and he's done really well at Everton, he has done really well… the clean sheets that they've had etc.

"Just the fact they've stayed up and he’s been a main part of that is great, but he's defending a lot of the time on the edge of his box. They're [Everton] a low-block team.

"England don’t want to play like that. England want to have the ball and pass and start attacks. He hasn’t shown that he can do that yet at the top level."

Branthwaite's brilliant performances and Everton's challenging financial situation have given rise to speculation surrounding the future of the defender, with Ferdinand's former club said to be among those interested.

The ECHO understands that Old Trafford chiefs are now expecting a deal to be done for the centre-back before June 30, although Everton are not anticipating a sale at this stage.

The Manchester Evening News states that United "won't be held to ransom" over the price of Branthwaite, with Everton adamant he should be considered in the same bracket as Harry Maguire (£80m) and Josko Gvardiol (£77m).