Jarrad Branthwaite looks set to stay at Everton, despite loan interest from elsewhere this summer.
As reported by the Daily Mail’s Transfer Confidential, La Liga’s Villarreal and French outfit Nice are both interested in signing Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite on loan. However, the young defender is set to remain at Goodison Park for the forthcoming campaign.
Interest in Branthwaite is understandably high. The 21-year-old was in fine form for PSV last season. He racked up 27 appearances in the Eredivisie over the course of his loan spell, and also managed two goals.
There is now room in the Everton squad for Branthwaite. The exits of Yerry Mina and Conor Coady seem to have opened the door for the England under-21 international to force his way into Sean Dyche’s plans.
Jarrad Branthwaite is ready to shine for Everton
At 6’5”, and with plenty of experience now under his belt, he seems ready to thrive in the Premier League. He is very comfortable and confident in possession, but remains solid at the back and is aerially dominant. According to FBRef, his statistical profile is similar to that of Phil Jagielka. Also, given Everton’s limited spending power, utilising internal solutions like Branthwaite means that more funds can be spent elsewhere.
Dyche has already revealed that he made contact with Branthwaite whilst he was on loan in the Netherlands, which perhaps hints that the youngster has been in his plans for a while. It will certainly be interesting to see if the Carlisle-born centre-back is close to a starting role from the start of the new season, and whose place he could go on to take.