Everton’s summer finally starts to be shaping up after months of worry from the fanbase, however it is actually one player already in Sean Dyche’s camp that could prove to have the biggest effect on the squad next season.
How good is Jarrad Branthwaite?
Having joined from Carlisle in 2020, Jarrad Branthwaite quickly became well-known around the club as a pacey centre-back with a towering frame. He had all the physical qualities to thrive in the Premier League but remained raw. His sending-off against Brentford in 2022 emphasised that.
So, when a one-year loan to PSV Eindhoven was announced, it made perfect sense. The 21-year-old would enjoy a season in a highly technical league, and return ready to star.
That gamble seems to have now paid off.
A 6.97 average rating in the Eredivisie emphasises this, which is a figure buoyed by his 87% pass accuracy, 1.4 interceptions and 3.4 clearances per game, via Sofascore. The latter figure would have made him the fifth-best in that category when he compared against the Toffees’ squad from last term.
Journalist Paul Brown clearly took note of this rise to prominence in the Netherlands, and would tell Football FanCast exactly what fans have to look forward to come August: “Branthwaite is probably the closest they’ve got to someone who’s looking at a potential breakout year.
“It looks like he’s going to be in pretty solid form and [in the] centre-back rotation. We all saw last season that it only takes a couple of injuries for that position to need to be rotated quite a lot.”
How much did John Stones leave Everton for?
Given he was signed from the lower leagues of English football, rising up to within Everton’s first team, it is hard not to draw comparisons with the prior success earned with John Stones.
He too moved to Goodison Park from Barnsley and would go on to feature 95 times for the club before joining Manchester City in a £47.5m move.
Despite also being initially raw and prone to mistakes, the foundations were there for a truly great defender to be unearthed with the right teaching. Fortunately, that transfer saw him join up with Pep Guardiola, who has since forged him into one of the best in his position, even revolutionising the inverted full-back role.
As such, when compared against other centre-backs across Europe, the 29-year-old ranks in the top 4% for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes per 90 and the top 8% for progressive carries per 90, via FBref.
He has grown from a similar level to Branthwaite’s current position into the monster he is today, with his Spanish manager praising his development and adaptability: “He has this amazing quality to understand the game, to be calm, to read the next pass.
“He is more mature but he’s still young and it depends on him if he wants to become better. Hopefully he still has the desire to improve because there are many things to improve with and without the ball."
Under Dyche, who knows a thing or two about moulding a solid defence, this young colossus could now emulate that success, growing into a perfect partner for James Tarkowski with the perfect blend of physicality and technical excellence.
Last campaign afforded him the time to grow, and now is the time for him to take his chance with both hands and become the club’s next Stones with the “breakout year” that Brown envisions.
