Everton have had a really difficult season so far in the Premier League, however, the supporters will now be hoping that the new appointment of Sean Dyche can bring the club back to life just in time to survive relegation.
Dyche has already given the Goodison Park faithful a glimpse of what can be possible with the current crop of players when he led the side to their first victory since October last year against league leaders Arsenal last weekend.
Indeed, there is still a long way to go for the Toffees as they remain one point deep in the relegation zone ahead of a challenging clash with Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby this weekend.
Should the former Burnley boss retain the club’s Premier League status at the end of the season, there is no doubt that the Everton hierarchy will need to invest in the manager’s philosophy over the summer transfer window despite financial problems continuing to loom.
Developing and reinvesting in the forward line has become the most pressing concern for the Merseysiders, however, they could have a hidden gem returning to the club in the summer to strengthen another key area of the pitch.
Jarrad Branthwaite was sent out on a season-long loan to PSV Eindhoven in the summer, giving the academy graduate the opportunity to prove his worth with consistent first-team football and he has done so phenomenally.
Over 14 Eredivisie appearances, the 20-year-old talent has scored one goal, successfully won 54% of his duels and tallied up a 92% pass completion rate in his own half, displaying radiant composure and domination at the heart of the defence.
Not only that, Branthwaite now ranks in the top 20% of his positional peers across the ‘next eight best’ leagues for non-penalty goals, passes attempted, pass completion and progressive passes.
The Everton youngster’s displays in the Netherlands have started to attract attention from some of the biggest clubs in the world with Manchester United, Roma and bitter rivals Liverpool all scouting Branthwaite.
Although it could be tempting for the Toffees to sell their valuable asset in Branthwaite this summer in order to boost funds to reinvest into the forward line, keeping hold of the defender could pay off and give the club their next Phil Jagielka who could dominate in the backline for years to come.
Jagielka was a consistent and reliable performer for Everton over his 12 years with the Merseyside club, becoming a modern great – amassing 385 appearances before leaving in 2019.
Like Branthwaite, he was composed in possession of the ball, completing over 82% of his passes across multiple top-flight campaigns.
Now, the young defender could even follow in the footsteps of Jagielka on the international stage too, with his former Carlisle boss Steve Pressley claiming the young centre-back could be in line for an international call-up:
“He had so many quality attributes to become a top player,” he began.
“I told people he was a future England international.”
With that being said, it will be interesting to see if the power brokers at Goodison see the value in keeping hold of Branthwaite or whether they will be blinded by an opportunity to collect a quick payday on the player this summer.