Man Utd target has perfect chance to make case to Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Everton clash
When it comes to timing, Everton's trip to Old Trafford this Saturday couldn't be better placed for Jarrad Branthwaite.
Hosts Manchester United have been following the young defender throughout his breakout season, with new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe keen to prioritise snapping up the best homegrown talent which English football has to offer, as he reconfigures the Red Devils' scatter-gun recruitment strategy. Branthwaite, 21, has had to be patient since his move to Everton in 2020, having been on the radar of top-level clubs ever since his emergence at Carlisle United as a teenager.
But it was on loan at PSV Eindhoven last season when the 6ft 5in centre-back truly made his name. Working under ex-United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, Branthwaite won the Dutch Cup and convinced Everton boss Sean Dyche that he was ready to become a regular starter back on Merseyside, later earning a new four-year contract.
Starting all but three of Everton's 27 Premier League games, the towering, two-footed Cumbrian has helped the Toffees to eight clean sheets, only fewer than title challengers Liverpool and Arsenal. His defensive acumen continues to improve under Dyche but what's piqued the interest of fans and pundits up and down the country is his ability with the ball - as well as his eye for goal.
You'd be forgiven for assuming that Branthwaite was a seasoned striker watching his finish against Brighton last month, as he lashed the ball with his left foot past a helpless Bart Verbruggen to notch his second goal of the season. Ex-England and Manchester City defender Micah Richards promptly raved about the 21-year-old on Match of the Day, concluding: "His overall game is magnificent."
Jamie Carragher later followed up with a glowing appraisal
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