Jarrad Branthwaite has emerged as a key figure in Sean Dyche’s Everton squad this season. Previously loaned out to PSV and linked to teams from around Europe, The Toffees have a task ahead to keep him within the squad for years to come.
Primarily placed on the left side of a centre-back pairing, the twenty-one-year-old has solidified himself as a stalwart in the starting lineup alongside James Tarkowski.
Jarrad Branthwaite Has Evolved into Sean Dyche’s Perfect Centre Back
Cream of the Crop
Branthwaite encompasses everything Dyche has wanted in a centre-back throughout his time with Burnley and now at Goodison Park. Standing at 6’5”, he is very rarely beaten in the air, ranking in the 84th percentile for aerial duels won for players in the same position across Europe’s top five leagues according to FBref. This is something that is a focus of Dyche’s, with James Tarkowsi and Michael Keane, two of his former players now applying their trade at Everton, also performing well at.
What separates Branthwaite from the other defenders in the squad is his ability to pick up any oncoming dribblers through the defence. The Carlisle United academy product tackles dribblers 81% of the time, putting him into the upper echelons of his European peers.
Dyche’s Ideal Centre Back
It’s no secret that Dyche likes his defenders to defend first and worry about the other end of the pitch after, and that’s what Branthwaite brings to the Toffees. While the passing side of his game is still growing, the manager hasn’t tried to hide admiration for the defender.
Since starting his first game of the season, a 1-0 loss to Wolverhampton in matchweek three, Branthwaite has started and played all ninety minutes of the following nineteen matchdays bar one. The faith that the former Burnley manager has entrusted in the U21 England international has been repaid as he is seemingly getting more comfortable with the pace and play of the premier league each Everton matchday.
Gaining Interest Around Europe
Along with a rise in form often comes a rise of interest from clubs higher up in the world football pecking order. Clubs such as Tottenham, Arsenal and Réal Madrid have been linked over the January transfer window.
Links with clubs playing in Europe would be sure to entice any playing currently battling relegation, albeit not entirely due to the teams on-field performances. Transfer talk hasn’t surpassed the initial stages of interest meaning a sale this window is looking less and less likely.
The Last Word
With no words of unrest from the player or his camp, and Everton determined to keep the young gun for as long as they can, it would be unlikely that a sale goes through this month. But if the top performances continue, Dyche and his scouting team may need to find a replacement sooner rather than later.
