Manchester United may not fully grasp Jarrad Branthwaite’s value, but Everton fans certainly do. They’ll be hoping that their breakout star from last season remains in the royal blue jersey past the transfer deadline on August 30, as the club prepares for its historic final season at Goodison Park. Over the past year, Branthwaite’s reputation in the football world has soared. Once considered a peripheral player, he has blossomed into a potential generational talent.
Everton captain Seamus Coleman, known for his measured demeanor, praised Branthwaite following the final game of last season at the Emirates Stadium. Coleman, who former manager Frank Lampard called “the best man I’ve ever met,” said of Branthwaite, “I think he’s got every tool possible to be one of the best around, and he’s already showing that. He’s top class. You see him every week, and he’s unbelievable. There have been games this season where I’ve been watching and thinking he’s incredible athletically and on the ball. I want to be fair and not speak too much about him, but you can’t really hide talent like that for long.”
Given this high praise, it was no surprise that Manchester United showed interest this summer. However, what was unexpected—especially considering their willingness to spend big on other targets—was their reluctance to meet Everton’s valuation of their prized asset. A lowball offer of £35 million plus add-ons was quickly rejected at the start of the transfer window, and a subsequent offer of £45 million plus add-ons in early July was deemed even more insulting by Everton’s management, given the new financial year and their improved financial position.
Everton has made it clear they won’t be pressured into selling Branthwaite for a bargain price and plan to keep him for the 2024/25 season unless an extraordinary offer comes in. Considering the £80 million Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire in 2019, the £75 million Chelsea paid for Wesley Fofana in 2022, and the £77 million Manchester City paid for Josko Gvardiol in 2023, Everton believes Branthwaite is in the same league, especially given the premium for left-footed defenders and homegrown talent.
But what makes Branthwaite so special? At just 22, he combines tremendous physicality with confidence on the ball. Standing 6ft 5in tall, ‘The Carlisle Kaiser’ is a commanding presence in defense. Sean Dyche, who knows Chris Wood well from their time at Burnley, saw Wood struggle against Branthwaite during Everton’s 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest last December. Branthwaite, who had already outplayed veteran Premier League striker Michail Antonio in a 1-0 victory at West Ham United weeks earlier, left Wood looking more like a gentle hill than the mountain he’s known to be.
James Tarkowski, Branthwaite’s partner in defense, also had high praise for the young defender’s first full season as a regular starter. The 31-year-old said, “He’s doing everything you want from a top centre-half, and it’s a pleasure for me to play beside him week in, week out. He’s physically great, technically very good on the ball, calm, composed, and reads the game well. He wants to put his head on it and has scored some important goals.”
Indeed, Branthwaite scored three goals last season, during a purple patch over 12 games for the defender. He showed incredible bravery to score a 94th-minute equalizer against Tottenham Hotspur in front of the Gwladys Street. His composed finish at Brighton & Hove Albion three weeks later was worthy of a seasoned striker. And while Branthwaite modestly downplayed his goal against Liverpool, saying, “It wasn’t the best finish, and he nearly saved it, but they all count,” the shot was too powerful for Alisson, one of the world’s best goalkeepers, and helped secure Everton’s first Merseyside Derby win at Goodison Park since Branthwaite was just eight years old.
While Branthwaite’s potential may not have been apparent during his early days—he was almost released by Carlisle United as a teenager—Everton’s former director of football, Marcel Brands, who brought Branthwaite to the club after just nine games in League Two, has always had faith in his protégé. Speaking to the ECHO in May, Brands said, “To be honest, I have never had any doubts about him. In principle, he has everything to become one of the top defenders in the world.”
