Everton’s summer is unlikely to be a particularly pleasant one, but there will remain some shreds of positivity for fans to hold on to.
After all, Kevin Thelwell has at least earned some degree of respect for his work in negotiating great prices for their outbound assets, and also paying as little as possible upfront for those they have brought in.
So, if they are to sell this transfer window, there is faith that the replacement acquired will do the job well.
However, Jarrad Branthwaite’s potential exit would be tough to take, given just how important the youngster has become of late, even recently earning a second England call-up.
Ashley Young praises Jarrad Branthwaite
Having been included in Gareth Southgate’s last squad, but was twice snubbed any minutes against both Brazil and Belgium, the defender is still yet to make his full senior debut for the national side.
However, he stands a strong chance of going to this summer’s European Championships, having just been included in a threadbare and youth-focused 33-man provisional squad.
Based on form, he arguably deserves to start, but Southgate will need to see more before he can make such a bold choice.
Fortunately, there are some upcoming friendlies, and his teammate Ashley Young is backing Branthwaite to step up and prove his worth there.
He noted, speaking live on talkSPORT (21/05, 5:15 pm) just yesterday: ‘I think the pre-games, if he can play in them, he is comfortable in himself, he is confident in himself, he will go out there and you would look at him and be like, he has been playing for years.’
Everton can only accept a huge transfer fee for Jarrad Branthwaite
If Branthwaite is to leave Everton this summer, it can only be for an astronomical fee.
After all, not only will it take something truly special to try and replace him, but this is a squad that cannot afford to take such a big hit.
Amadou Onana’s transfer and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s contract both represent opportunities to cash in on assets that are either not as important or in a more precarious position.
But Branthwaite is just too important to let go without attaining a mouth-watering sum that would completely alter the trajectory of the club.
This season, alongside James Tarkowski and just ahead of Jordan Pickford, he has been magnificent as a physically dominant, fast and calm centre-back. It is no wonder that they boast the fourth-best defensive record in the division.
Solidity may be their starting point under Sean Dyche, but the 21-year-old’s excellence has been evident on enough occasions to suggest he would surely shine in a better side, and thus deserves his chance for England.