How Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite established himself as Europe's in-demand centre-back
Everton have made some eye-catching signings in recent years. James Rodriguez was snared from Real Madrid. Moise Kean arrived from Juventus. Andre Gomes, Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne were plucked from Barcelona.
There was comparatively little fanfare when the Toffees picked up a 17-year-old centre-back from Carlisle United in January 2020. The club’s official statement announcing the deal did not even include a quote from Carlo Ancelotti, the first-team manager at the time. A year later, after just one EFL Cup appearance for Everton, Jarrad Branthwaite was sent on loan to Blackburn Rovers without many people noticing.
It is fair to say there is much more focus on the defender now. In contrast to the deals for Rodriguez, Kean and Gomes, the addition of Branthwaite has proved to be a fantastic piece of business from Everton, a club whose generally poor recruitment over the last few seasons contributed to their 10-point deduction in the current campaign.
Having been found to be in breach of the Premier League’s spending rules again this week, Everton may be forced to raise funds through player sales in the January window. Branthwaite, who has earned admiring glances from Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid, looks like the most obvious sacrifice.
Not that Sean Dyche will want to lose him. No team in the division has kept more clean sheets than Everton and Branthwaite has had a big part to play in that record, forming a rock-solid partnership with James Tarkowski at the back.
Due to a lack of match fitness, the 21-year-old did not start either of Everton’s first two games of the season. Dyche went for a duo of Tarkowski and Michael Keane at the heart of the defence against Fulham on the opening weekend, and then again when he took his team to Aston Villa on matchday two. After 1-0 and 4-0 defeats, Branthwaite was brought in for the clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers the following weekend. He has not looked back since.
Branthwaite looks like he has been playing at this level for years. In that respect, last season’s loan spell at PSV was hugely important. The centre-half was a huge success in Eindhoven, with his temporary boss Ruud van Nistelrooy describing him as a "complete" defender.
Everton fans would surely concur. Branthwaite combines brain and brawns to great effect. Crucially for a centre-back in a Dyche team, he is not afraid of a physical battle. Only six players with at least five Premier League appearances at the heart of the backline can better his tally of 2.1 tackles per 90 minutes. But Branthwaite’s positioning and reading of the game are more important than brute force. Only three of his peers under the same criteria have made more interceptions than his 1.8 per 90.
Branthwaite is constructive as well as destructive. The left-footer is comfortable stepping into midfield in possession, or passing out from the back. His 79.3 percent pass completion rate is higher than that of Tarkowski and Keane. Dyche’s Everton are a relatively direct team, so Branthwaite’s percentage would no doubt be higher were he playing for a possession-based side.
"He seemed to be quite an assured character, quite a calm character," Dyche said of Branthwaite in November, discussing his first impressions of the former Carlisle man.
"I like that in all players, but particularly in centre halves. His adaptation has been clear to the pace and the detail of Premier League football. He continues to improve, and physically he is a good specimen."
The Everton manager later played down reports that the club might need to sell Branthwaite this month in order to balance the books. But if the centre-back maintains his current level of performance, his list of suitors will only grow.
