Everton’s bid to sign £30m Jarrad Branthwaite replacement dealt major blow in the last 48 hours

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Everton are already making plans for the summer transfer window.

The Friedkin Group will hand David Moyes a substantial budget to spend this summer as they hope to return Everton to Europe.

The American investors have big ambitions for the club and are currently re-shaping the recruitment team.

Soon-to-be CEO Angus Kinnear could appoint Leeds United’s Nicky Hammond after his impressive work at Elland Road.

Kinnear is also eyeing Leeds scout Gary Penrice, who has built a significant reputation for spotting talent in the second tier.

Whilst that process continues in the background, David Moyes has been keeping tabs on a Jarrad Branthwaite replacement, but that deal could now be off after recent developments.

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Everton’s bid to sign Maxime Esteve dealt major blow

Jarrad Branthwaite has been heavily linked to Manchester United ahead of the summer transfer window and it is believed Everton have slapped a £70m pricetag on the defender.

If the Toffees agree to sell Branthwaite, they are expected to move for Burnley centre-back Maxime Esteve.

Moyes has personally scouted Esteve in recent weeks and he will become a top target for the Scotsman, however, any forthcoming deal now looks unlikely.

With Burnley managing to beat Bristol City on Saturday, it leaves them in joint first place, with a sizable gap to Sheffield United in third place.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	43	26	13	4	83	29	54	91
2	BurnleyBurnley	43	25	16	2	59	14	45	91
3	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	43	27	7	9	59	33	26	86

So, automatic promotion now looks inevitable, making it highly unlikely for Burnley to sanction Esteve’s sale given their soon-to-be Premier League status, with the newfound wealth which comes with that.

Everton could turn to Clement Akpa

With Esteve now looking increasingly more unattainable, Everton could turn their attention to AJ Auxerre centre-back Clement Akpa.

The Toffees are showing an interest in Akpa after his breakout season in France’s top-flight and they aren’t alone.

Wolves, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hoffenheim and Stuttgart are also keeping tabs on the left-footed defender, who is of a similar profile to Branthwaite.

So, with that said, it certainly won’t be an easy deal to do for Everton, who face some serious competition from a quartet of clubs in the Premier League and Germany.