BBC Sport pundit: ‘Huge’ bids ready for Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite to join top club
Pat Nevin has suggested that “top clubs” will be preparing “huge” bids for Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite.
Branthwaite, 21, has been linked with a move away from Goodison Park in the summer due to both his strong performances this season and the club’s need for cash.
Nevin believes his old side should expect plenty of interest in their star defender – who he described as “coolness personified” as the Toffees beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in their last Premier League outing.
Writing in the BBC Sport Football Extra newsletter [22 April], he said: “Amidst the madness [against Nottingham Forest], one player seemed to grow in stature and composure – Jarrad Branthwaite.
“This was no easy task at the centre of a back line that looked shell-shocked last Monday [against Chelsea], but he was coolness personified.
“I have likened Cole Palmer to a younger Kevin De Bruyne, but I will resist comparing Branthwaite to Virgil van Dijk just yet. But, at 21, there are very few around that look to have his abilities as an all-round defender. This is exceptionally unusual at this age for this position.
“Top clubs are either keenly watching his meteoric progress or preparing a huge bid. Any decent offer will be almost impossible to turn down by my old cash-strapped club, however much the Evertonians want to say, ‘Mind your own business and leave our best player alone’.”
Jarrad Brathwaite can help Everton to safety – both on and off the pitch
There is no denying that Branthwaite’s performances for Everton this season have been exceptional, despite the general malaise that has plagued the club.
The 21-year-old is the Toffees’ third-most used player in the Premier League in 2023/24, behind only Jordan Pickford and central defensive partner James Tarkowski, who have both played every minute of every game in the competition so far.
It has been a remarkable display of trust in the centre-back from Sean Dyche – and that faith has largely been rewarded, with Everton surprisingly posting the joint-fourth-best defensive record in the division, level with Manchester United despite having played a game extra. Only title-chasing trio Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool have conceded fewer goals than the Toffees’ 48.
It has been going forward where Everton’s struggles have been most pronounced – only bottom-of-the-league Sheffield United have scored fewer goals than their paltry tally of 34.
Everton’s survival looks very achievable now, as they sit five points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand on Luton Town and Forest. Branthwaite, having played his part in preserving the Toffees’ Premier League status on the pitch, would then go some way to easing the financial issues at the club if he moves on for a substantial figure this summer – as much as Everton fans would want him to stay.
In other Everton news, a lawyer has claimed that the Premier League have “serious questions” to answer about Chelsea’s accounts after what happened to the Toffees.
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