David Moyes must build Everton’s defence around Jarrad Branthwaite
Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite is quickly reminding everyone that he’s one of the Premier League’s best young defenders.
Having finally fought his way back from a cluster of nasty hamstring problems, Branthwaite has now restored himself to the heart of Everton‘s backline.
It’s like he’s never been away either, as the 23-year-old hasn’t missed a beat since playing his first 45 minutes of the season against Leeds in a 1-1 draw on 26 January.
Since then, he’s played 89 and 90 minutes against Brighton and Bournemouth respectively, and also made a five-minute cameo from the bench away at Fulham on 7 February.
It’s no coincidence then, that Everton have only lost once in those four games, and that was in a game against Bournemouth where they played the final 20 minutes with 10 players on the pitch.
Everton’s defensive rebuild should revolve around Jarrad Branthwaite
This summer is set to be a busy one at Hill Dickinson Stadium regarding transfer activity, with Everton chiefs opting to save funds in this season’s winter window.
David Moyes will be looking to strengthen across the pitch in the summer, with numerous departments in need of some fresh blood injected to them.
However, Toffees fans can perhaps expect to see the biggest overhaul taking place in defence, with both age and performance issues across the backline.
Seamus Coleman is 37 and out of contract, whilst Michael Keane and James Tarkowski are both now 33, and although the pair have been solid this season, they aren’t getting any younger and a sharp decline could be imminent.
Meanwhile, Everton will surely look for upgrades at both full-back positions, with Nathan Patterson and Jake O’Brien underwhelming on the right, and Vitaliy Mykolenko remaining inconsistent on the left respectively.
So, this summer feels like the perfect time to really have a good clear out in defence, and Branthwaite is the type of lynchpin that Everton should build a new-look defence around.
Branthwaite’s contract situation paves cornerstone potential
Perhaps one of the smartest moves Everton have made in recent times was to ink Branthwaite to a new long-term contract extension.
Indeed, the England international committed to a new five-year deal with the Toffees in July of last year, taking his current deal to the end of June 2030.
That shows just how much trust and potential Everton have and see in Branthwaite, and underlines why he should be the player that the defence is constructed around.
It won’t be any surprise to see Branthwaite recognised as one of the very best Premier League centre-backs by the time he’s in his prime, and if Everton help him out, he can lead the Toffees’ defence towards becoming a top unit.
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