Evertoncentre-back Jarrad Branthwaite has reportedly told the club he ‘wants to leave,’ which comes as a major blow to Sean Dyche.
The Toffees are set for a busy summer after parting ways with several players already. But, the 21-year-old is not someone they want to lose.
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For instance, Yerry Mina, Tom Davies and Asmir Begovic have all left Everton upon the expiry of their contracts.
Demarai Gray is also heavily linked with joining Saudi club Al Hilal, while the Toffees rejected the chance to sign Conor Coady permanently.
Also, as reported by TEAMtalk, Mason Holgate looks set to join Sheffield United on a season-long loan.
As a result, Everton could have three fewer centre-backs than they did last season. So, if Everton do lose Branthwaite, they will have a big shortage in defence.
Branthwaite enjoyed a successful loan spell at PSV Eindhoven last term, where he made 37 appearances overall. In the process, he helped the Dutch giants to KNVB Cup victory and scored four goals.
Thanks to his fine performances, the England under-21 international has caught the attention of Liverpool and Manchester United.
Therefore, we could see two of Everton’s biggest rivals make a move for one of their brightest talents this summer.
But, given their past links to Branthwaite, they could potentially switch their attention to him. However, Everton won’t let him go cheaply.
The Toffees have previously rejected bids from PSV for the defender and some reports suggest that they want just £6m for him.
However, given the widespread interest in Branthwaite, it’s thought that Everton will now demand a much, much higher fee than that.
Interestingly, Football Insider claim that West Ham, as it stands, hold the most concrete interest in the youngster. So, they could make a move for him in the near future.
If Everton do lose Branthwaite, they will most likely have to sign one new centre-back, at the very least. So, this will be a story for Evertonians to keep an eye on over the next couple of weeks.
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