Jarrad Branthwaite
Agreeing personal terms with Man Utd!
A 21-year-old centre-back by the name of Jarrad Branthwaite who plays for the correct side of Merseyside in Everton š, has had his name up in lights recently due to his performances over the past campaign.
So much so that the biggest club in the world Man Utd have already agreed personal terms with the defender, as per multiple reports.
This is considered a step in the right direction for new co-owners INEOS as it looks like they arenāt going to take their own grannyās time when it comes to getting deals done. This news also came out on the day the transfer window opened indicating further that INEOS arenāt playing games.
So just what is Jarrad Branthwaite all about? Is he truly worth the hype?
Details
As mentioned, he is only 21 which means he is a player for the future. Already a tick for him there.
As he plays for Everton, having that Premier League experience is also a nice-to-have.
Standing at 1.96m tall, that height is perfect for a centre-back and while his stronger foot is his left and he is a left centre-back by trade, he is actually quite impressive with his right and can play as the right centre-back relatively comfortably.
According to Transfermarkt, they have him valued at ā¬42m although you can be sure that the PL tax as well as the Man Utd tax will increase that amount tenfold, and not to mention that his current deal expires in 2027.
Branthwaite has played 74 matches for Everton and has scored 4 goals including one against Liverpool which pretty much ended their hopes of winning the title. We should sign him for that reason alone š.
Taking into account all these factors, the Toffees are reportedly looking in the region of Ā£70m+ for the young man. A bit overpriced in my book.
But weāve been down this road before. Quite a few times when looking at the likes of Antony, Harry Maguire, Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku. All players United ended up paying waaaaaayyyyyyyy too much for.
We cannot afford to be paying such an amount for a multitude of reasons but mainly for Sir Jim Ratcliffe as this is his (and INEOSā) first transfer window.
Style of Play
Considering that height of 6'5'ā, it makes him quite the imposing character even more so when looking at his strong and physical frame.
One would think that in the air, he is unbeatable. And theyād be right, to an extent.
Branthwaite is superb in the air and has an uncanny ability of getting the ball away from danger. In fact, in this past Premier League season, the defender ranked 12th overall for most aerial duels won and 6th-most for defenders with 95.
He is also very proactive with his defending and has great positioning. Anticipation to snuff out the danger before it happens is another aspect of his game to take note of.
With those long strides that heās capable of, the 21-year-old has great recovery speed and helps with his tackling as well.
On the ground, he is a force to be reckoned with too. Branthwaite averages around 5 ball recoveries per game. A part of this can come down to Branthwaiteās urge to aggressive press the opponent as he regularly steps up from his position to close down an opposition player causing them to have to panic and make quick decisions under pressure which can lead to them losing the ball.
As I said, he is very capable on both feet which gives him an advantage over oppositions. The former PSV loanee (coached by ex-Red Ruud van Nistelrooy) is also quite adept at playing all across the back line and allows him to be adaptable to play different styles and formations. Another huge tick in the box.
Geez, this guy has it all. Reminds me of me š.
Despite his young age, Sean Dyche has given Branthwaite incredible amounts of responsibility at Everton. His side are quite dependent on the young CB as he is a major part of their spine and is a regular starter. Heās played the 3rd most minutes for the club in the league with only goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (3420) and Branthwaiteās centre-back partner James Tarkowski (3419) having played more.
He is joint second-youngest in the Everton squad.
However, itās not all great with Branthwaite.
Possession is not his friend as he can be found wanting on the ball. Lack of composure has a great deal to do with this as well.
When he tries to go long, he can often be wide of the mark and give the ball away cheaply which isnāt what you want.
In this modern style, we know that defenders have to be as good as midfielders in possession and show incredible amounts of calmness under pressure. This could be a problem considering that Erik ten Hag would want to build up from the back.
Compatibility with Lisandro Martinez
It is a question to ask as we know that the Butcher will be the starting centre-back on the left.
Branthwaiteās ability to play with his right-foot means that this wouldnāt cause any issues between this potential pair.
At almost 2m tall the Englishman makes up for Martinezās lack of height. We saw in the 22/23 campaign just how well Rapha Varane complimented the Argentineās deficiency in height.
United also need a defender with Branthwaiteās height as none of the other three (Shaw, Martinez, Dalot) would be that tall. In the PL, this could be a serious issue.
That recovery speed of his means that we can play a high line as Martinez (nor any of Unitedās other remaining centre-backs) isnāt the quickest. This is something else we saw whenever he and Varane partnered up as the Frenchmanās pace allowed United to squeeze opponents in their own half without that worry of being hit on the break.
Both Martinez and Branthwaite have good reading of the game, good anticipation and excellent positioning to read the danger. The two of them are also quite physical which could be both good and bad given the circumstances.
A problem that could arise between the two is in their desire to go and press the opponent. Martinez is well-known for wanting to step out of his centre-back spot to go and try and win the ball from an opponent. Branthwaite is the same. Should the two of them get caught out of position, that could mean space in behind for other teams to exploit. Theyāll have to develop an understanding of whenever one goes, the other stays.
Injury History
Nothing to be too concerned about although the 21-year-old did have some issues earlier on in his career. Luckily though, there were no injury scares last season.
Final Thoughts
So far as I see it, the only major problem with this Branthwaite deal is his price. With Everton reportedly looking in the region of Ā£70m+, that could (and should) be a reason for United to turn down the offer. With a tight budget and several areas that need improving, spending that amount on one player probably isnāt a good idea.
Other than that high price, Branthwaite ticks a lot of the boxes. The fact that heās also agreed personal terms with United suggests that heās quite happy to come to Old Trafford.
I would sign him but for a decent price. If a possible swap deal and money could be done, that would be great because a defender like Branthwaite is needed in this United team.
