It’s December 2019, Rangers are yet to go through their customary post-winter break collapse, the Covid lockdown is inconceivable, and Jarrad Branthwaite is being thoroughly scouted at Ibrox.
Then of Carlisle United, fast forward four and a half years and the now 21-year-old Everton defender has just earned his first cap for England.
Coming off the bench for the Three Lions as they defeated Bosnia & Herzegovina 3-0 ahead of Euro 2024, the centre-back certainly staked his claim for a call-up to England’s final squad.
But things might’ve been oh so different for Jarrad Branthwaite had interest from Rangers been realised all those years ago.
Rangers watched Branthwaite
That’s right, Rangers were one of several clubs said to be scouting Jarrad Branthwaite as he broke through at Carlisle United as a 17-year-old.
At the time managed by Steven Gerrard, the Gers had managed to engineer several top English-trained youngsters north of the border under the Scouser’s watch.
Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey went on to bank the club over £30m combined and unequivocally proved that there is big value in the English lower leagues.
But as things would transpire Branthwaite moved to Everton in the January of 2020 and since then the centre-back has set about making quite a name for himself.
A series of loan moves of Blackburn Rovers and PSV allowed the defender to get top level experience with the young Englishman now a key player in Sean Dyche’s Toffees team.
England star’s astonishing valuation
Playing in 35 of Everton’s 38 Premier League games last season, Jarrad Branthwaite has emerged as one of the hottest properties in English football.
Whilst the specific details of Rangers’ transfer interest are unclear, the Gers will rue missing out on the centre-back if it was ever a possibility.
The likes of Manchester United have been heavily linked this summer with Everton said to rate the kid at a quite astonishing £70m according to Sky Sports.
That first England cap might’ve added another couple of million onto the asking price too.
Whilst it’s unrealistic to expect Rangers to bank such an amount on any player, Branthwaite’s journey to the Everton first-team via a series of loans is interesting.
The Goodison Park club have got in early, secured a cost-effective deal and developed the player at their club alongside short-term moves elsewhere.
The target for Rangers is to get in early when it comes to these footballers, develop them at Ibrox and bank a pretty penny when they inevitably turn heads south of the border.
