Everton signal intent to keep star defender Branthwaite
Everton have reportedly made moves to tie Jarrad Branthwaite down to a lucrative long-term contract in a bid to stave off interest in the defender from rival clubs this summer.
Joe Thomas of the Liverpool Echo says that Club officials have opened talks with the 22-year-old and his representatives over new terms against a backdrop of suggestions in the media that a number of teams are weighing up a move.
Branthwaite, a £1m acquisition from Carlisle United in January 2020, has emerged over the past couple of seasons as arguably the most sought-after player in his position and age bracket in the country.
Manchester United were reported to have made him a top target a year ago but never came close to meeting Everton’s valuation of around £70m, with two low-ball offers from Old Trafford summarily rejected by the Blues before the Red Devils eventually moved on to Leny Yoro.
This summer, United are once again being mentioned among Branthwaite’s potential suitors but face competition from the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea, Newcastle and even Liverpool, all of whom are intent on bolstering their respective back lines for their Champions League campaigns in the coming season.
Everton, however, are in rebuilding mode themselves under new ownership in the form of The Friedkin Group and, as of 1st July, will be free of the spending restrictions imposed on them by the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and which have hampered the Club’s ability to strengthen the squad in recent years.
Indeed, the Blues have needed to sell their most prized assets, with all of Anthony Gordon, Richarlison, Alex Iwobi and Amadou Onana moved on over the past few transfer windows to keep the Club PSR compliant and to avoid further points deductions from the League.
Branthwaite is rightly regarded as a key piece of David Moyes’s team and the hope is that by demonstrating the player’s worth, rewarding him accordingly with a new deal and bringing in new signings capable of significantly raising the quality of the squad, Everton can persuade him to stay.
The Cumbrian has two years remaining on his current contract, a four-year term signed in 2023, but the Club retain an option for one more year.
Reader Responses
Selected thoughts from readers22/06/2025 09:35:52
Branthwaite must decide his future employment prospects. I use the term "employment prospects " because footballers, like the rest of us, make these decisions on the basis of pay and conditions.
Fans, like me,see this through royal blue filters. Players( and managers and even directors) lack these filters.
I hope Branthwaite stays and we can build our defence around this outstanding young player, but I'm pessimistic that this will happen.
22/06/2025 13:56:25
I’ve seen elsewhere that we also have a years option on his contract so, assuming there are no financial pressures to sell, there is no reason for him not to be an Everton player for the next two years.
Personally I think we should offer a significantly enhanced contract for 5 years that would remove any speculation with some form of a buyout clause that if in say 2 years we are not competing for Europe we will let him go for £xxm.
22/06/2025 15:18:20
We simply have to keep this kid. He's amazing.
I said like 1.5 to 2 years ago I'd not sell Jarrad under $100K (pounds, euros, whatevs) and I'd still stand by that. Virgil VD went to that lot for what? $75K? Branthwaite is every bit as good as he was at that point in time, if not better.
Do not sell him. If we do, it needs to be for absolutely silly money.
23/06/2025 12:53:57
He'll be here as long as he wants to be. It's up to us to make it compelling enough for him to stay. I'd be interested to see if there's a release clause in his new contract and what the figure is!
23/06/2025 21:38:25
What's equally important to retain is the ability to source/recruit players like Jarrad for the paltry amount that we originally paid for him.
Scouting and developing the young, unheralded talent is a real skill, and one we should put a lot of our investment and emphasis on as it may provide us with an advantage against the wealthier clubs that our budget currently doesn't.
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20/06/2025 06:35:51
I think that a lot will depend on our transfer business being completed early. Both in terms of showing Jarrad why he should stay and also deciding if we need the money from his sale to get targets we feel we really need.
By showing that Jarrad is not for sale, there is a better chance of us not being held to ransom by clubs we want to buy players from. Clubs expecting us to have a windfall from a player sale will look for a bigger transfer fee.
I do think though, and I'm stating the obvious here, a lot will depend on Jarrad himself. I'm sure he knows his worth. There's been enough interest in him over the last twelve months for his agent to have an idea of what contracts and wages he'll get from other clubs. At twenty two, it may come down to what's more important for another season or two, playing time or money. This may work to our favour, both in terms of him producing on the pitch, and also increasing his sale value if he continues to develop.