Everton could sign perfect Branthwaite heir in move for 15m-rated ace
Everton could sign perfect Branthwaite heir in move for 15m-rated ace
Everton will be desperately trying to cling onto the services of centre-back star Jarrad Branthwaite this transfer window, knowing this will be a tricky feat to pull off.
Manchester United are very keen on the breakout Toffees gem, who was only on the books at Carlisle United a matter of seasons ago before exploding into life on Merseyside, with a potential eye-watering £70m move to the Theatre of Dreams no doubt tempting for the in-demand 22-year-old.
If the 6 foot 5 colossus does leave for pastures new this off-season, it looks likely that Sean Dyche's men will attempt to sign a replacement swiftly, with this defender reportedly on their agenda from Ligue 1.
Everton eyeing up former Crystal Palace centre-back
Formerly on the roster at Crystal Palace, current Olympique Lyonnais number 12 Jake O'Brien could soon be moving back to the Premier League, with the Toffees just one club interested from the top English division.
A recent report in the Daily Mail states that Everton, alongside West Ham United, are keen on a move for the 6 foot 6 giant, who has impressed during his debut campaign out in France, even when coming up against the likes of Kylian Mbappe for Lyon.
It would take a substantial bid of £15m to win his services, as per the report, with Palace and Lyon raking in significant amounts of cash in the process if a deal was to take place, having sold O'Brien for just £850k.
O'Brien could end up being a perfect heir to the out-going Branthwaite, therefore, with the Irish 23-year-old hungry to prove himself back on Premier League soil, after never being given the chance to excel at the level with the Eagles.
What O'Brien could offer Everton
Much like Everton's star number 32 who prides himself on being assertive and authoritative in winning duels, with 5.3 won per match last season in the league - as per Sofascore - O'Brien hasn't been afraid to roll up his sleeves and use his lofty height to his advantage plying his trade out in France.
O'Brien put his towering frame to good use with four goals managed last campaign from 27 top-flight contests, alongside being a calm operator on the ball under pressure away from just being an imposing presence, with an 88% pass accuracy in-tact per match.
Beating Branthwaite in a head-to-head battle when glancing at many of the passing statistics between the two, O'Brien still has lots he can improve on when it comes to many of his defensive tasks however, with Dyche wanting to get more out of his unfinished product if he was to sign on the dotted line and move to Goodison Park.
Branthwaite wasn't an instant first-teamer overnight for the Toffees, having to battle his way into first-team contention after only six Premier League appearances came his way during the 21/22 campaign, with James Tarkowski also potentially being beneficial for O'Brien as an experienced centre-back partner he can bounce off of.
It would be less than ideal for Dyche and Co if they were to lose Branthwaite this summer, but if that does become an inevitable reality, signing O'Brien could be a risk worth exploring, to try and find their next gem at the back.
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Therefore, the Toffees should press ahead with a deal to sign the "impressive" - per journalist Josh Bunting - star before the end of the window.