Everton are willing to sell Jarrad Branthwaite this summer if they suffer relegation from the Premier League. He is also a transfer target of Liverpool and Manchester United plus Roma.
That is according to Calciomercato, which reports Everton will look positively on selling the defender if Sean Dyche cannot keep the Toffees in the top-flight. The Goodison Park outfit sits just 18th in the table through 22 games. But they are only one point away from safety.
Dyche does not have Branthwaite to call on in his bid to steady the ship on Merseyside. He is spending the season on loan to PSV Eindhoven after Frank Lampard sought to secure the 20-year-old regular game time last July. The centre-back holds a regular place with Boeren.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has fielded Branthwaite in 20 games across all competitions so far this season. He has also seen the defender bag four goals and has started the 6 ft 4 enforcer in 13 games. Now, his form enchants Jose Mourinho as he looks to improve Roma’s defence.
Mourinho is keen for Roma to sign a new centre-half to replace Marash Kumbulla with the Albanian only a backup. The Serie A side are ready to satisfy the Portuguese’s requests for Branthwaite and have now landed a potential boost with Everton ready to grant a transfer.
Liverpool and Manchester United may rival for Branthwaite’s transfer from Everton
But Everton, who signed Branthwaite from Carlisle United for £1m in January 2020, will let the defender leave in a summer transfer only in the event of relegation. The Toffees would look more positively on interest in the Roma target to help balance the books at Goodison.
Branthwaite has only played 13 first-team games with the Toffees since joining them from League Two. He has further only started in nine games and earned six of his outings under Lampard. Yet him impressing in the Netherlands has more sides than just Roma interested.
The Daily Mail has reported that Liverpool and Manchester United have sent scouts to PSV games alongside talent spotters for Roma to watch Branthwaite in view of a transfer from Everton. While the Toffees rejected a £15m bid from PSV for a permanent deal in January.
PSV launched two offers with the second reaching £15m as Van Nistelrooy and director of football Marcel Brands sought a deal. Brands held the same position at Goodison when the England U21 defender left Carlisle, where former boss Steven Pressley called him ‘terrific’.
Branthwaite also admits a permanent transfer from Everton to PSV appeals to him, despite Roma, Liverpool and Manchester United’s interest. He will weigh up the Philips Stadion as a permanent home in the future should the chance arise. But his focus is on their matches.
“It’s something I will take into consideration, definitely,” he told ESPN. “I’m enjoying my time here, playing games. It’s been good this second half of the season. It’s something we can look for in the future. But I’m just focusing on playing as many games as I can.”
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