Everton make progress on new Jarrad Branthwaite contract

Massive for us if it happens…

Get it done.

He maybe will get more elsewhere if he wants, we will see, money isn't always everything though.

The axis of Branthwaite, Tarkowski and Pickford would be the envy of just about any team in Europe. And a very strong base to build from.

I suppose there was always going to be some uncertainty though.

Mr Branthwaite, will you please append your signature to the contractual document of employment placed before you? Once added, we can all share a collective exhalation of immense satisfaction and declare, "Brill, we got it done!"

His signature will be evidence of a player who wants to continue playing for Everton and who is committed to our cause. Glory will undoubtedly find him during his career.

Made up he's signing a new contract.

It shows the club is moving upwards.

I've heard worse phrases aimed at others on these pages that I won't repeat.

Let's hope the lad signs. Having watched him close-up most weeks in person, he will be an important part of our future and is already showing signs of being a future leader.

He may be a great centre-back, but he is comfortable on the ball and can play a bit too. Young, but won't be bullied. Knows a pass when he sees it. Times his tackles to perfection. Without mistakes? Of course not, certainly not at his age.

From the official club website.

Jarrad Branthwaite: Young Player of the Season 2024-25

The lad is going to be special!

Honestly, I would have to care about what Ryan and Neil say to be bothered.

One seems to come on here to insult his fellow supporters.

And the other is… erm, who is he?

The rest of this transfer malarkey, I'll wait until the window closes and have a look then.

I’d like us to sign:

Right back
Left back
Right winger
Centre midfielder
Forward

Right back: Tete
Left back: Gudmundsson
Centre Midfield Habib Diarra
Right wing: Ben Doak
Centre forward: Barry

It makes sense to pay him more to keep him.

Anyone know where we are at with Gana Gueye?

My (useless) prediction is that Tarkowski is mostly a back-up for the rest of his Everton career unless we play a back 3 or one of Jake or Jarrad gets injured.

I'm as happy as the rest of you this deal is getting done!

Though, good news if he does sign the extension!

I hope he doesn't but, if he eventually feels he needs to move on, it means we'll get a better fee.

Ryan, apart from Tete, who I've watched a couple of times when he's played for Fulham against us and Barry, who I had no idea about until the links and watched at the U21s, I can't comment on the others you mention.

Let's get Branthwaite and Gana signed up, then focus on new signings whoever they are going to be. And they will follow.

Gana and Branthwaite are the most important.

I don't want to be negative but like a few players we have had, he is just too good for us to retain. Looks like a win-win situation though. Please get Gueye signed but I do understand the club's position on contract length.

I feel the most positive about the new season than I've been for years — and that's before we even know who'll be in through the door.

This all sounds like a load of blather, I'll believe it when he actually signs.

Gueye's and Calvert-Lewin's contracts aren't up for a few more days, and no club have been definitely identified… watch this space?

By the way, how do you rate these two?

I have Stones just ahead of him at the point of sale!

I said on here a million years ago that I saw Stones as a new Bobby Moore. I think Branthwaite will be better than both. I really think he is that good.

Just needs a bit of luck with injuries. He's a big lad, and just needs to be careful when flying in.

My heart's been in my mouth a couple of times when he's gone down, as I think he has the complete package.

We have to retain our best players somehow to break the aforenamed glass ceiling; how we manage to achieve this, I don't know — answers on a postcard please.

I guess that we don't have the income to keep many players on long contracts and high wages and still maintain some kind of wage structure for the whole squad, which is essential for a club to have.

Unfortunately, Jarrad is a super player and there will come a point where he can't be fitted into our structure, he is simply too good for a club the size of Everton in terms of turnover.

He is a wonderful lad in that he has probably given us the chance to get maybe a couple of years more of his massive talent as we transition into the future and then do good business by selling him.

Say, £70M from the sale is a massive boost for the club and if we have a player like Jake O'Brien plus A N Other as back-up, we can hopefully manage the loss.

I believe that Everton can't adopt a "keep all of our good players regardless", policy. We have to sell in some cases and the owners will patently understand this.

If you could design a centre-back partnership from scratch, they'd look like them. Young, fast, tall, left-foot and right-foot combo.

I hope they're both around long enough to see how good they can be together.

I liked and rated Stones, but I'll have to go for Branthwaite.

He's that good and is going to get even better.

Just amazing isn't it? We do so well picking up and developing these defenders. Danny, I rate Branthwaite as a better defender but Stones as possibly a better footballer but we haven't seen the best of Jarrad yet, methinks.

If I had to make a choice on them at their best, I'd take Jarrad 24/7. What a player. One day we can look back on it and cry into our Blue Beer but I'll be about 90 then.

Touchline interviews with substituted players and camera access to dressing rooms are set to feature in Premier League TV coverage next season.
Camera operators will also be allowed to briefly enter the field of play to film close-ups of goal celebrations.

If I were a player just substituted and some cloth-eared bint in 6-inch heels staggers up asking me stupid questions as in, "You have just been substituted, how do you feel?"

I would reply with, "Are we live? We are? Oh well, fuck off then!"

Just do it, get it done, JFDI, get a move on, hurry up will yer, put some welly into it, light a fire under it – take your pick.

As long as he signs without the usual Everton bumbling.

Then we land Tete, Fellows and Barry… 🙏

Not keen on Tete or Fellows to be honest. I think there is better out there without pissing on Steve's chips.

From what I've seen of Fellows, he's a good crosser – but lacks pace or physicality to make it big in the Premier League. I doubt he will contribute significantly to goals or assists in an area of the pitch where good players offer 15+ goal involvements. He lacks what you see in a Mbeumo, Semenyo,

His low price is there for a reason. I'd expect him to go to a recently promoted side, as I think that's his level.

Neither would be anywhere near 20 goals in the Premier League for their position both now or in 2 or 3 years time. I'd therefore question the pursuit of bang average players.

The dressing room is a sanctuary for matchday preparations. Going on the pitch? Their cameras have sufficient zoom abilities, so I don't know what they would achieve going on the pitch. Besides, a lot, if not all of the time, the players will head to the corner and to the supporters, often off the pitch.

As for interviewing a player having just been substituted, good luck with that. I think the response you suggest would be common!!

Steve, tread carefully. You'll end up being a lost cause like me!!!

That is not to say either are terrible. think Fellows is probably about the standard of Keane-Lewis Potter at Brentford - but as you say he's a good way off Semenyo and Mbeumo.

My hope is that once we wrap up the Barry signing (which appears to be happening?) we then move for someone genuinely good for the RW slot – like, say, Bakayoko or Dibling.

There will be some that will be unhappy with the results in the coming years, including games against the top 5 or 6, that also advocate signing players of an average level. There's a general excitement within the fan base of just signing any new players.

This has to stop. We need players we want to keep. Not players we bring in, then want shut of within 1, 2, or 3 transfer windows.

At the moment, we are rated independently by Transfermarkt at having the 17th squad out of 20 in the Premier League.

They rate us as having a squad valued at £349.55m - and that includes all the players (contributing about £80m to the total) about to leave: Keane, Mangala, Doucoure, Lindstrom, Harrison, DCL and Broja etc. Our value and wage bill are about plummet - down to about £270m.

There are 9 clubs with squad valued well over £500m (the usual Rich 8 and Brighton). Their squads are miles ahead.

Of the remainder, it looks like this:

10. Forest (£462m)
11. Palace (£448m)
12. Brentford (£414m)
13. Bournemouth (£410m)
14. West Ham (£400m)
15. Wolves (£378m)
16. Fulham (£351m)
17. Everton (£349m)
18. Leeds (£212m)
19. Burnley (£196m)
20. Sunderland (£150m)

Now, I do get that the Transfermarkt squad values contain flaws and you can argue the toss a bit - but they aren't far off when you look at the squads against each other, player for player.

We won't be buying ready-made Europe beaters or top drawer, but there is always the possibility that modest signings, in the right team, can be turned in to top drawer. I would put Ndiaye and potentially Alcaraz in that category.

I think that's where we need to be aiming. But as Ian says, improving quality.

I struggle to see why we can't bring in the same again, with an eye to convert some into permanent signings via options. There's no reason we can't find better quality loans than that to supplement 3 good buys.

On the continent, there are players who are signed on 2-year loan arrangements, and then converted into permanent signings. We need to be creative in the market.

There are emerging players out there in lower quality leagues. Players in teams that are financially distressed teams, or those that have missed Europe or been relegated. I struggle to see us ever exploit others on or off the pitch.

Others don't show that respect.

We will still need squad players but this could potentially be filled with loans, young players or out of contract.

Is that you on Twatter — "@Danny_EFC6" — sticking the boot in on Jarrad and having him pull the plug on the deal, putting in a transfer request instead?

Shameful.

Not me.

I maybe wrong, but didn't Villa sell him because of PSR?

Sunderland in for Habib Diarra for £30M. Another on my list I'd hoped we would be in for. Captain of Strasbourg at 21.

Players are out there, we need to pull our finger out.

He hasn't set the world alight at Juve. Also, didn't Villa basically replace him with Onana?

I read that Villa are considering selling their female team to themselves, similar to what Chelsea did. I don't know how that works, but sounds dodgy.

There are a few sailing close to the wind, including the likes of Manchester Utd, Chelsea and Newcastle Utd.

Kieran Maguire reckons we're going to do the same with the ladies team, seeing that the loophole is there.

Didn't Masters admit it after Chelsea did it?

I think we do need CM as well and maybe Diarra would be a good option though I’m not sure he’s has the defensive discipline for a Moyes team.

Hey ho.

I aiso think it was a pity Doucoure left, I know he got plenty of stick from some but I think he will be missed.
The first consideration next season is don't be relegated, its dangerous to make too many changes all at once. I'm confident we will be ok but I'm not expecting any glory either.

Douglas Luiz: Juventus midfielder on list of targets for Man City

Keane and Gana contracts close.

Barry in the final stages.

Alcaraz already in.

Things are getting sorted.

"I'm over the moon," said Branthwaite. "It's been something we've been talking about since the end of the season and to get it signed now is something I'm really excited about.

"The trust the club's put in me and how many games I've played over the past two seasons has made it quite an easy decision for me to stay and to keep progressing as a player."

Says a lot about him in a good way, although appreciate he has to talk up the positives.

I assume he realises that the chance to play regularly when fit and in form is far better than sitting on the bench at one of the 'Top 4/6/8 clubs'. He'll get his chance to play European football at some other stage, who knows with which team. Perhaps Roma!

Seems he's ours for at least one more season...

As for an earlier comment on cameras on the pitch, interviews with subs etc, it's a big No from me and a load of shite.

I don't listen to the pundits and don't care what crap the players spout, most of them are media trained to the hilt now and just repeat the same old boring nonsense to please the ‘fans'.

Most have their brains in their boots too, I just want to watch them play football.

Hopefully he'll push on this season and start showing how good we all think he is.

Rob, I don’t watch pre-game, halftime, post-game nonsense. I’m sick and tired of seeing the same bunch of former players bigging up their own teams continuously.

Carra, is the worst of the worst. I’ve never, ever seen him commentating on a game without him mentioning the rs at least 20 times, even when they are not playing.

Interesting listening to him. Very humble and refreshing to hear a player saying he wants to play as much as he can being one of. the driving factors in his decision.

He is only going to get better and willl be our captain within 2 years.

Sky report saying that Barry's unpredictability is his greatest asset. Lord above. With him and Beto up front neither will know what they or the other is doing. Could be hard to defend against.

Cue a new chant, “We don't know what we're doing”. Will put the fear of God into defenders

I just make up my own mind on what I'm watching. I don't let ‘Carra la' tell me what to think.

Nick #69 - "I wonder if his agents insisted on a release clause, and if so what it is."

Whatever it is, I can't see us getting ripped off.

I've had many criticisms of Moyes over the years but one thing that could possibly work in our favour is what might be called 'innate Presbyterian mingebaggery'.

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan doth oft lose both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry." etc blah.

I seem to remember he tried to get Fellaini to agree to a £40M release clause (Fellaini's dad fucked him off and they settled on £23.5M).

Fortunately, most of the time, I don't have to listen to the pundits. Pre-match, I'm lucky if I make it to watch the warm up, as I'm one of those late entry types. You know, the annoying ones who ask people to stand up to let me get through!!

Right now, I'm not fussed about the detail. I'm just made up he's ours for next season and beyond, playing alongside Tarkowski and / or O'Brien.

Now for a right back. And if we seal the Barry deal, the pieces are falling into place.

That's Nick Hammond's job.