Chelsea ‘to make £70m bid for Jarrad Branthwaite’, Everton response mooted
Everton will have a decision to make with Chelsea expected to launch a hefty bid for Jarrad Branthwaite.
The Toffees are not keen on losing their star player, with David Moyes hoping to keep the centre back on Merseyside.
Everton are expected to push on after the solid foundations laid down by the Scotsman as they leave Goodison Park to migrate to their new stadium.
The Friedkin Group will aim to back Moyes to make the transition seamless, but could be tempted by the large figures Chelsea are touting for their highly-rated defender.
Everton ‘to reject Chelsea’s opening £70million offer‘
Branthwaite’s emergence as one of the Premier League‘s top centre-backs has been critical in Everton’s ability to avoid relegation in the past few seasons.
The England international has been a huge presence at the back, forming a formidable partnership with the heralded James Tarkowski.
| Branthwaite | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points |
| Starts | 28 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 39 |
| Doesn’t Start | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
It is no surprise that Branthwaite’s stock has attracted the likes of Chelsea, who look set to continue to flex their seemingly endless spending power.
It has been suggested that Everton would accept an offer of £60million for Branthwaite to boost their prospects in the summer transfer window.
However, ex-Goodison scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Goodison News – believes Chelsea will make an opening offer of £70m, which will be rejected.
“I think Chelsea will offer £70m,” King said.
“Branthwaite is homegrown, and he is a major player in Moyes’ plans. Therefore, if anything is going to be discussed, it would need to be an offer of at least £70m.
“I don’t necessarily think he is worth that kind of money, but if Chelsea need a defender, considering Branthwaite’s importance to Everton, he is going to cost big money. However, I’d imagine that Everton will reject an initial offer from Chelsea.”
Everton must stop selling players if they are to grow
Everton are still paying the price for some truly woeful financial mismanagement under Farhad Moshiri‘s stewardship.
The Merseyside outfit have been forced to sell their prized assets in recent years to recoup their losses, such as Richarlison, Anthony Gordon, and Andre Onana.
With the club steadily climbing out of the mire since the takeover, they must arrest that habit and start retaining their best players to build the team towards a more prosperous future.