Jarrad Branthwaite contract news emerges at Everton amid transfer threat from Manchester United
Jarrad Branthwaite has been offered a new Everton contract as the club looks to ward off interest from elsewhere, according to Simon Jones.
The Daily Mail journalist reported in his Transfer Confidential for the newspaper’s website on (21 August) that the defender is “pushing” for a place in the starting line-up since returning from his “impressive” loan at PSV Eindhoven last season, and a new deal is now on the table.
The Dutch club attempted to sign the 21-year-old permanently before he came back to Goodison Park, while there was interest from Liverpool in January.
More recently both Villarreal and Nice wanted to take the centre-back on loan before Manchester United emerged as a “surprise” suitor after Branthwaite impressed Erik ten Hag in the Netherlands.
Lock down
After the thoroughly depressing 4-0 collapse at Aston Villa on Sunday it should be all the more important for Everton to keep Branthwaite around, as it surely can’t be long before Sean Dyche makes a change to his line up.
The Toffees boss has shown a remarkable commitment to his former Burnley man Michael Keane alongside fellow ex-Claret James Tarkowski.
But with Ben Godfrey also challenging for a place in the XI it looks like time to bring in one of the younger options.
Branthwaite has drawn attention from across Europe with his performances in the past year, so to lose him at this stage after his development appears to have jumped up a gear would be careless by the club.
A new deal and potentially a run of games would be a positive step at the start of another season that is already starting to look ominous.
A lot of the focus has, understandably, been on the need for help in attack, but the defence was just as bad at Villa Park.
Losing Branthwaite would necessitate yet another incoming deal to be done and the club are struggling enough with that as it is so wrapping up a contract extension should be a priority at this stage.
In other Everton news, a journalist has branded it “inexplicable” that the Toffees managed to bank a £10million profit on a flop.