Everton braced for Branthwaite bids as Champions League clubs circle

If Harry Maguire was £80M, then there is absolutely no reason a "big" club can't pay £100M plus add-ons.

Do I want to lose him? Absolutely not. But if someone ticks that £100M box, then I'm afraid we'd have to sell.

But you're having a laugh if you think we "need" to sell at £50-60M.

We should build around Branthwaite, but if someone offered £100M and he wanted to go, there would be a way forward.

Any less than that and we're absolute mugs.

I'd hate to lose him, but I'd bet that we'd take £75M if he really wanted to go and/or was refusing to sign a new contract. And that's assuming we had a couple £20M options on the table to replace him and build out the rest of the squad.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with your amazement at the Maguire price but, at the time, he was playing at a fantastic level for both Leicester and England, and it was Man Utd paying it.

I believe that he has recently played again at that level. I think that he could be a massive bonus for us for a couple of seasons, possibly scoring some important goals.

Branthwaite for £100M? I doubt that market exists now but it would be marvellous business for us by any measure.

Our club size means that there is a certain standard of player that we can't keep because of wages, the profit from sale and our lack of European football. Look at our momentum over the last part of the season – we were bloody good.

He's had a good season, but he needs to go after an excellent one, then he can go to a top tier club for top dollar. A move to Spurs at this point would be insane.

Let's not fall for the "keeping an unhappy player" myth. Spurs kept Kane till it suited them and he didn't down tools. Neither will Branthwaite.

Moyes and the club have already said he's not for sale, so it will take something astronomical for us to sell him, and that astronomical fee in my eyes should be a minimum £100M.

Or it could be a player plus cash, but a player we think would be beneficial for us, not some no-mark 35-year-old bench-warmer the buying club are desperate to get rid of.

He's likely to stay, which would be encouraging, but – if he's sold – that could be telling.

We should be making him one of our top earners with a new contract. I believe it's paper nonsense that he was overlooked for the England squad because he's not with the so-called top clubs.

£100M at least or no deal.

Similarly, Jarrod Bowen's surprise omission is down to him no doubt being on honeymoon having got married last weekend.

Or Tuchel doesn't like their similarly spelled first names.

Re Jarrad – I read somewhere that he is keen to stay with us and become captain one day. Whilst that is great news if true, he needs to have an improved contract if what I have also read about his low weekly salary is correct.

I assume Jarrad wants to play at a higher level where he can win things. We're a long way from that. I guess a lot depends on how ambitious he is.

It would be a shame to break our defence up but I think defenders are easier to replace than attackers.

Everton get no bids for Jarrad Branthwaite

We've seen so many talented young players leave us that I'm just accepting of it now. From Jeffers and Ball to Lukaku and Barkley, with a helping of a young lad called Wayne in the middle, I just know they're looking for that Big Move!

It's hard for me to see anything different happening with Branthwaite, so let's just hope we get the best deal possible and reinvest wisely. Unlike the disaster of 2017.

Where is this speculation coming from? Who is the source at Chelsea and Spurs?
Almost certainly the press and the agents.

Be strong Everton – build a team around Branthwaite.

Everton are not entertaining bids anyway.

Jarrad is happy with his development.

Next...

This is a big test for Everton: if they want to be a big time team, you don't sell your best players. We've had enough of this for the last 20 years, but were forced to sell players for financial reasons.

Surely now we have the financial backing to stop this sort of thing.

Martin, I look forward to seeing you again next season. Great walk through the park and conversation on the way to Fulham in the sun.

I've heard that our new owners want to make a bank-busting statement. Rice has fallen out with Arteta and wants a move; he has, no kidding, been talking to Moyes.

The shoe is wholly on the owners foot as Jarrad is under contract for another 2 years at least - he only signed a new deal last year - but people on here thinking that the Americans are anything but businessmen will get their 'sugar daddy' eyes opened quite quickly I believe.

Also, don't forget that Carlisle United have a 15% sell-on clause, so even a hefty £75m sale nets down to £63.75m to the Everton coffers.

What will be will be. We don't have any control over it.

More immediately, I'm hoping to hear news that Gana has signed a new deal.

Then we can focus on new additions.

Then as now there are some decent LCB options out there - one is Zeze of Nantes whom we and others are linked with.

As it happens Wolfsburg bought Koulierakis last summer for €11.5m and he’s been a big success. He’s linked with the RS now as a successor to VVD.

It is likely that we will need to develop and sell a few very good players before we have assembled a high quality squad. Unfortunately there are now 8 or 9 much richer clubs and even with TFG on board we won’t be able to outspend our way their.

I don’t think this summer is a good time to sell but if we don’t extend his contract next summer might not be good timing either.

At some point we have to get much better at selling and much better at buying.

Some controversy when Kilman was sold from Wolves to West Ham. Maidenhead were entitled to £8m or 20%, but agreed on 10% to get the deal done.

Is he just moving house or planning to move away?

We still have Tarks, Keano and Obrien and anyone else we can buy with experience.

Personally I like Semenya at Bournemouth but you know that won't happen.

Let's wait and hope.

He's the most valuable player in our squad in terms of transfer value — and only Pickford right now is more important to our fortunes — and as such, he's worthy of at least £150,000 per week. I'd even give him 5 years at his age.

Wait until the window closes then start negotiations and have it wrapped up by Christmas.

But also by extending him now, you hopefully minimize the chances he gets tempted by other teams this window. You tell him to give us 2 more years and then he can go wherever he wants for the right price. Shit, make him the captain now, too, do whatever it takes to massage his ego.

It's all well and good to say we can tell him to play out his contract, and technically we can, but in this day and age, money and Champions League talk, and we have to do everything possible to keep him happy if we want him here. It's not ideal to think that way, but it's the reality.

I worry for my blood pressure when I can’t assess what might be genuine ITK and what is basic speculation.

Not helped by our resident bantz maestros adding their mischievous ‘information’ to the mix.

Maybe time for a ToffeeWeb hiatus and switching to the OS until all the trading is concluded.

If JB gets sold I don’t really want to know about it anyway.

Keep your blood pressure down by waiting until the club announces. That's when we will know.

Eric, I tend to agree with you. There is no rush just yet. If he's going to leave in the summer, he wouldn't accept a new contract and leave. So yes, leave it until he's playing for us next season and get him signed up on extended terms. It will cost us, but you get what you pay for.

There aren’t any straightforward options here because Branthwaite holds a lot of the cards and might, like Delap, choose to take his chance with a Champions League regular side rather than extend his contract. He’ll be paid handsomely whatever option he takes.

I don't think there is a club in the Premiership were there isn't a huge disparity of pay between players. I think somebody said Branthwaite is on about £35,000 per week compared to Doucoure who was on allegedly £133,000 per week.
So I don't see a problem making Branthwaite amongst our top earners, and for those in the squad who don't like it then tough thats what has always happened since the £20 salary cap was abolished by Jimmy Hill and George Eastham.

I think this is a big test for TFG in as much as do they want to keep our most talented or do we become a Brentford and Bournemouth who will probably never win anything but they will survive by selling their best players.

Even if they get between say 10% and 25% it’s a decent margin on the age bill overall. We can say no of course but it may cause umbrage with players and agents - making recruitment more difficult.

There’s no straightforward solution and much of how this lands is up to Branthwaite.

I don't think its the right time to sell Branthwaite. His contract still has time to go and there will already be a lot of flux this summer. Keep him one more year, hopefully he has a great season and we can sell for £75m+ next summer. There are LOADS of great young defenders out there and perhaps we should be looking to bring one in this summer so he has a year to adjust before replacing JB next summer. This is very much what Brighton try to do.

He's left sided which is a plus and he's a good player but I don't think he's had a outstanding season, Pickford has kept our goals conceeded down more than our defenders for me.
He was a media darling in his first season which always ups the ante.

I would rather sell Brenthwaite than Pickford.

I've a feeling the Club is cutting down on high salary players and we'll see sub-£100k wages across the team. So if Branthwaite or any other payer say well X have offered me £150k we say well if they meet our evaluation then you can go play for X.

Players "value" that they bring to a team, and I mean that playing wise, not money wise, should be recognised. Remember Pienaar left 'cos he wanted parity with Arteta and look how that turned out. But that "value" has to consistent, not a show of potential, but stepping up and meeting that potential consistently in terms of younger players.

That can be managed though. I have learned that. It was much easier in the Army. That's what you get paid. No negotiation.

People and players will always want the best deal for themselves, but know where they sit in the pecking order.

I can't see Branthwaite leaving in the summer, but as you say Martin, nothing would surprise us in football. We will need to tie him up to an extension before next summer.

Very true Sam @42. Players come and go in the name of business. It's how you reinvest that matters.

And yes, I look forward to seeing you and Mark next season Martin, always a pleasure.

Brian @37, I'd rather the club kept quiet and didn't talk about it. A bit like the commentator's kiss of death or when the board comes out giving a manager unreserved backing. You know they're on their way out when that statement is announced.

Silence is golden as the song goes.

The lad has all the attributes, one of which is generally superior anticipation which makes it seem like he’s not had to do much at all to neutralise a situation.

He has the odd mistake in him (they all do) but should get even better with a couple more years of experience.

It’s not just Everton fans. All the pundits rate him extremely highly. Or that would be overrate him, in your opinion?

Our defence has been our biggest asset and it would be a risk to split it up, he's a good player and time will tell just how good he will become.

I feel he's not as good as he is being portrayed.

"I feel he's not as good as he is being portrayed." Well, we love him, and United certainly have a bromance with him, but as I said above, let Branthwaite, and others, show some consistency before we handsomely reward them.

Remember Stones and how we were all made up that we didn't let Chelsea have him; then, only a season later, we sold him to Man City for much less.

Are you talking about ability or price tag, John?

I liked Joleon Lescott but surely he's a clear third out of the trio? He was pacy and good in the air but I don't remember him being particularly comfortable in possession of the ball.