Man Utd prepared to meet £50m asking price for colossus Steven Gerrard turned his nose up at Rangers - report

03/22/2025 07:30 AM

Rangers problem in terms of player trading doesn't seem to be identifying talented players, the biggest problem is picking the right ones to sign. 

There is a long list of ones that got away in recent years from Xavi Simons to Andreas Skov Olsen and Viktor Gyokeres to Nikola Krstovic. 

It is the same in defence, with the current Rangers squad seeing a mix of injury prone centre-halves or those just not suitable for the SPFL which begs the question as to why they were signed in the first place. 

One player who wouldn't have struggled with the rough and tumble of the Scottish Premiership is Jarrad Branthwaite, who Rangers scouted at Carlisle Utd when the towering defender was still a teenager. 

Now at Everton and in the England squad, the 6ft 5inch stopper could be on the move with Man Utd hot on signing Branthwaite in the summer for a lot more than the £1m Steven Gerrard baulked at. 

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Man Utd prepared to meet the asking price for Jarrad Branthwaite

According to The Sun, the Old Trafford outfit are prepared to pay the £50m valuation it would take to see Everton part ways with the 22-year old defender. 

There is though, as there always is, a catch.

The report also claims that Branthwaite feels that playing in the Champions League is the best way for him to cement his place in England's starting XI. 

Man Utd are currently sitting in 13th place so, that is out the question, unless they win the Europa League. 

Who did Rangers sign instead of Branthwaite?

With Connor Goldson, Filip Helander and Nikola Katic as first picks, Rangers needed a fourth centre-half to develop and potential turn into a profit.

Branthwaite had been scouted, however, he was playing regular first-team football and heading up the M74 to sit on the bench or in the stands wasn't his idea of progress.

Rangers plucked a player with a similar profile – if not quite as tall – in Oldham Athletic's George Edmundson for just under the £1m Carlisle had been demanding for Branthwaite. 

Early impressions were positive for "The Fridge", however, mistakes started to creep into his game before both Leon Balogun and Calvin Bassey pushed him further down the pecking order.

Even Jack Simpson started to get minutes in the first-team.

Rangers got their money back when Edmundson moved to Ipswich Town where he then played a key role in helping the Tractor Boys climb all the way to the Premier League in back-to-back promotions. 

Now 27, he might only have played one minute against Man City, but he can still say he played in the Premier League before dropping back down to the Championship to sign for Middlesbrough.

A solid career, but not exactly that of Branthwaite's who can count PSV Eindhoven and Everton on his CV with a big-money move only a matter of time.