Everton faces a battle to keep Jarrad Branthwaite at the club next season with European giants lining up to sign him permanently, according to the Daily Mail (24 April).
The Toffees academy starlet has spent this season on loan with PSV Eindhoven, making 31 appearances in all competitions.
PSV want to make his loan deal permanent and had a bid rejected in January, and are willing to bid up to £15m to sign him this summer, however, they face competition from a host of other European clubs.
Bayern Munich, Benfica, Roma, and Ajax are all also interested in the 20-year-old central defender, but Everton is intent on keeping him for the new season whether they are in the Premier League or the Championship.
Crazy
It’s crazy to think that Frank Lampard allowed Branthwaite to leave the club on loan last year because he deemed that he wasn’t ready or good enough for first-team football yet.
His performances last season during the run-in weren’t the best, but there was clearly talent there that needed to be nurtured and deserved a chance.
Now just a year later he has got some of Europe’s biggest and best clubs fighting over his signature, while we sit in the relegation zone of the Premier League with one of the worst defensive records in the division.
We would be crazy to sell him this summer considering how much we need to sign defenders and improve the squad because his talent is evident by the club’s interest in him.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the club cash in though considering our financial situation, it would be a huge shame to see such a quality young player come through at Finch Farm and shine elsewhere.
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