In a recent report, The Daily Mail claimed that Manchester City have joined the race for Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite this summer. It is understood that the Mancunian club could face competition in the form of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid in the race to land the English defender.
Branthwaite’s Solid Season At Merseyside This Season
Branthwaite is having a great campaign at Goodison Park as he has managed to put in a run of solid performances for Everton on the defensive third of the pitch. The English centre-half has made 31 appearances for the Toffees this season, scoring two goals in various competitions.
The 21-year-old has been a rock at the back for the Merseyside outfit and has done well to average 2.0 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 4.2 clearances per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He has even distributed the ball relatively well after making 79.4% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Merseyside club will run out in the summer of 2027, so Man City will have to make a good offer if they want to sign the English defender later this year.
Should Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola Go For Branthwaite?
Branthwaite is a solid tackler of the ball and can secure the ball back for his team when defending inside his half. He usually clears the danger when needed and can use his strong 1.95m frame to dominate the opposition attackers in the air.
At the moment, Branthwaite is playing some of the best football of his young career at Everton. Hence, it is no surprise that Man City are showing interest in recruiting him as they look to bolster their defence in the summer transfer window.
At 21, Brathwaite has got the potential to become a world-class central defender someday as long as he continues to improve with each year. He would add plenty of bite and steel to Pep Guardiola‘s defensive department and could help the Mancunian giants compete for a lot of major trophies over the next decade.
With things considered, Man City would be wise to go for Branthwaite as he has got the skillset to be a success story at the Etihad Stadium in the long run.
