Credit: Imago

Josh Edwards

Wed 26 February 2025 11:11, UK

Jarrad Branthwaite is a wanted man at Everton, with Real Madrid the latest club to be said to hold an interest in signing the defender.

This season as a whole has been a disappointing one for Everton, though the turnaround since the appointment of David Moyes has been nothing short of remarkable.

However, one player who has remained consistent throughout that period is Branthwaite, with his performances continuing to earn him interest from some top European clubs.

Everton will have a big decision on their hands in the summer as to whether they sell Branthwaite to fund a rebuild, or hold on to their prized assets and build around him.

Branthwaite transfer ‘discussed’ at Real Madrid

Branthwaite was believed to be a January target for Los Blancos, and it appears that interest will carry on through to the summer with an injury “crisis” at the back.

According to the latest report from TEAMtalk (25 February), the Spanish giants have “discussed” the possibility of signing the Toffees centre-back with Carlo Ancelotti and Madrid chiefs keen on adding a new defender after holding talks.

It was of course Ancelotti who gave Branthwaite his Everton debut when the Italian was at the helm of the Merseysiders.

The La Liga outfit are yet to make an official approach for Branthwaite, though Everton are unlikely to sanction his exit with their stance from the previous summer still unchanged.

Everton must hold firm on Branthwaite stance

While the temptation to cash in on Branthwaite may be there, Everton need to keep hold of their best players to see progression on the pitch.

Plenty of that has been seen since Moyes returned to Goodison Park, though that progress will be halted by the sale of any influential players in the summer, regardless of the price.

There will get to a point where the Toffees receive an offer far too good to turn down, but until then, they can’t afford to even think about selling their star defender.