HERE WE GO: Arsenal set to agree terms with 21yr old Everton player, everything set as player expected to join in January
Everton, if they want to spend any significant money in the coming transfer windows, will simply have to sell before they can buy.
After all, chatting with Dr Dan Plumley only reinforced just how cash-strapped the club is, with his grim prediction regarding spending in the next few years a tough read.
Fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the Toffees are blessed with a host of top talent that have already drawn widespread interest from a number of Europe’s elite.
And whilst Amadou Onana may have been earmarked as the man ‘more likely’ to depart out of him and Jarrad Branthwaite, it is the latter who now seems to be closing in on a move.
What Premier League teams are trying to sign Jarrad Branthwaite?
As revealed by The Daily Mail, there is a whole host of competition to sign the 21-year-old titan who has thrived in the Premier League this season.
With Tottenham Hotspur’s interest already well-documented, and Real Madrid another side who has shown an interest, this latest report seeks to sum up the scale of elite outfits who want to be the one to pry Branthwaite from Everton.
They write: ‘Manchester United and Tottenham are pushing more than most ahead of an transfer scramble for Jarrad Branthwaite this summer.
‘While Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid have all enquired about the 21-year-old, Confidential understands that it is United and Spurs that are making the most concerted effort at this stage.’
With a reported £100m price tag set, this mass interest will excite Sean Dyche, who will likely see it as a huge opportunity to drive the price up into the stratosphere.
How good has Jarrad Branthwaite been for Everton?
Whoever is the team to pry Branthwaite from Everton will be acquiring an absolute gem, even if they are forced to pay well over the odds for his services.
However, that has become the norm nowadays in the Premier League, and given his status as a mature two-footed English centre-back with pace, height and top-level experience, he ticks all the boxes.
His consistently outstanding performances throughout this season, his first featuring regularly in England’s top flight, will only aid that notion too.
Without him, Dyche’s side would be far worse off, and the complimentary partnership he has struck up with James Tarkowski has been integral in making Jordan Pickford, on paper, the division’s best goalkeeper in terms of clean sheets attained.
Branthwaite’s statistics only further that notion, as he is averaging 2.1 tackles, 4.5 clearances and six ball recoveries per game. To pair that with a 79% pass accuracy and an 80% dribble success rate only reinforced his status as one of England’s hottest young talents, via Sofascore.
Whether it be Arsenal, or in fact Manchester United who end up snagging him from Goodison Park, his presence at the back for them could prove revolutionary for the next decade.
He is that good of a defender.
