Everton transfer news: Chelsea move for Jarrad Branthwaite emerges amid Manchester United push

Chelsea have made an attempt to sign star Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, according to Corriere dello Sport.

The Italian outlet reported via their website on 27 January that amid a push from Manchester United to seal a deal for the 21-year-old, and interest from Real Madrid, the Stamford Bridge side have also tried to move for the Premier League "golden boy".

There is no indication that they have got anywhere with it, but while it has been widely reported that Erik ten Hag and Carlo Ancelotti, who gave Branthwaite his Toffees debut, want the centre-back, an approach from the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-backed regime has apparently now emerged.

Tottenham are also believed to be interested in bringing the Everton star in, but the Toffees want huge money if anyone is going to land him.

Under the radar

It should perhaps be little surprise that Chelsea are on Branthwaite's case seeing as any good player under the age of 25 has been in danger of a multimillion pound bid from Stamford Bridge in recent windows.

Despite buying Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi at great expense, and brought back Levi Colwill from loan, Mauricio Pochettino has still been linked to a new centre-back signing this month [Standard, 2 January].

Branthwaite, along with Amadou Onana, has been attracting plenty of transfer links in the January window, with Everton having to sell if they are to buy anyone this month, and the club surrounded by continued financial concerns.

But with one points deduction already imposed, pending an appeal, and the threat of a second one looming, Dyche surely needs key players in his squad now rather than cash that may or may not be translated into useful new arrivals.

It could become impossible to hold off attempts to prize Branthwaite away from Goodison Park, or indeed the new dock-side stadium if he remains that long, should Ancelotti send a major bid from the Santiago Bernabeu in the future.

But losing the star defender within the Premier League before the 1 February deadline is an eventuality that surely must be avoided at nearly all costs.

In other Everton news, an attacking sensation on the "path to stardom" has emerged as a Toffees target this month.

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