Jamie Carragher has heaped praise on Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite - with admirers Manchester United weighing up a sizeable summer transfer swoop.
Branthwaite, 21, is enjoying a true breakout season with the Toffees, having impressed on loan at PSV Eindhoven last season, working under ex-United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. Now the England youth international is believed to be on the Red Devils' six-man transfer shortlist, with top-four rivals Tottenham and European giants Real Madrid also interested.
His stock will be boosted thanks to a glowing appraisal from Carragher, who knows a thing or two about being a top-level centre-back. Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football ahead of Everton's battling 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace, the former Liverpool defender hailed Brainthwaite as "special."
"I think he is," Carragher reiterated. "And what is really special as well is the amount of centre-backs we have in the Premier League aged 21 or younger.
"I remember being a young lad going in myself at Liverpool and it's an unforgiven position, I had to go to full-back for the next three or four years and then go back to centre-back, so you can see the quality we have.
"Branthwaite has been outstanding, Murillo [of Nottingham Forest] I think has been outstanding. But I think this lad [Branthwaite] has been pretty special and he's a big part of why, in my eyes, Everton still have a great chance of staying up; him and his partnership with [James] Tarkowski."
Although Branthwaite was unable to keep a clean sheet against Palace on Monday, the 21-year-old has been part of one of the Premier League's most watertight defences this season. Only title-chasing Arsenal have racked up more clean sheets than the Toffees, and Sean
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