Whilst Everton have at least secured their Premier League safety for another season, they look set to face another battle this summer when it comes to keeping hold of one of Sean Dyche’s most reliable players.
Everton transfer news
The Toffees could be in for a dramatic few months, with 777 Partners’ proposed takeover seemingly now unlikely to reach completion and those at Goodison Park in desperate need of another option. No takeover at all would prove disastrous not only off the pitch but on it too, with the door then likely to be left with no choice but to swing open for top players.
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Among those who could leave is Amadou Onana. The Belgium midfielder has reportedly attracted the interest of Newcastle United and Arsenal in recent months and could seal a top move following another solid campaign at Everton. And he may not be the only one to seal such a move this summer.
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United are prepared to offer £55m to sign Jarrad Branthwaite this summer in a deal that would certainly help ease Everton’s financial concerns. The Toffees, however, have reportedly insisted that the defender is not for sale, despite the chance to make 55 times the £1m they initially paid for Branthwaite from Carlisle United back in 2020.
Depending on actions away from the pitch, Everton could be left with little choice but to part ways with such players. Dyche recently admitted that sales could be on the cards this summer, saying via The Guardian: “If the [777] takeover doesn’t happen, or a takeover, then it will probably be juggling dust, not sand. Because who knows then?
“You are having to self-generate everything then, I would imagine, because it’s not like there is a pile of cash anywhere so you’ve got to self-generate. And if you self-generate, how do you get in what you are losing?
“If someone leaves, how do you get the next one in who is as good as the one leaving? There is no time for development [of young players] because this club hasn’t got time for that.”
Why Everton may need Branthwaite sale
In an ideal world, Everton would be preparing to welcome improvements this summer to finally hand Dyche the chance to take his side into the Premier League’s mid-table and away from a relegation battle. Of course, without point deductions this season, his side would already be there, but instead they’ve suffered the consequences for actions away from the pitch.
Now, that ideal world is some distance away and those at Goodison Park could be left in a position in which selling Branthwaite and clearing his reported £35k-a-week wage is their most viable option. The centre-back is certainly capable of stepping up for a club of Manchester United’s calibre, but his potential success wouldn’t take away from the frustration of the sale at Everton.
As the season comes to a close, 777’s takeover remains incomplete and United reportedly remain prepared to launch an offer for Branthwaite, so the young star will be one to keep an eye on.
