Everton’s season has gone from bad to worse in recent days as Sean Dyche’s side were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Southampton, meaning there are no distractions from the Premier League until January.
At the time of writing, the Goodison Park side have conceded 15 times this term, and this defensive record must improve, otherwise it will be another relegation battle this term.
Despite the poor performances on the field, there are several players who have bright futures in the game who are at the club, notably defenders Jarrad Branthwaite and Jake O’Brien.
How much Branthwaite and O’Brien earn at Everton
The Englishman became a first-team regular at the Toffees last term after a successful loan spell at PSV Eindhoven. Under Dyche, he made 41 appearances in all competitions, becoming one of the few shining lights in the side.
O’Brien joined the club from Lyon during the summer transfer window, already making three appearances for the club and aged just 23, could form a long-term partnership with Branthwaite.
The English centre-back currently earns £35k-per-week, while the Irishman earns £40k-per-week, which means the pair are both on salaries that clearly won’t break the bank.
Indeed, both are actually earning less combined than fellow defender Michael Keane, who has been underperforming for a while now. Surely he will be on his way out of Goodison sooner rather than later?
Michael Keane’s wages at Everton
The 31-year-old has been with the Toffees since 2017, making a total of 219 appearances for the club in that time period.
The defender is currently earning £80k-per-week, however, and his performances on the pitch in recent months mean he is being way overpaid, that’s for sure.
Michael Keane’s Everton statistics | ||
|---|---|---|
Season | Games | Goals |
2023/24 | 12 | 1 |
2022/23 | 14 | 1 |
2021/22 | 38 | 3 |
2020/21 | 41 | 4 |
2019/20 | 34 | 2 |
2018/19 | 35 | 1 |
2017/18 | 38 | 1 |
Last season, Keane made just nine appearances in the top flight, finishing the campaign by averaging a 78% pass success rate, winning only 39% of his ground duels and keeping one clean sheet in that time.
When compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, Keane even ranked in the lowest 75% for tackles per 90 and ranked in the lowest 67% for blocks per 90 over the previous 365 days.
These statistics clearly show that he is on the decline as a player. His contract expires at the end of the season and Dyche shouldn’t be offering him an extension, especially as the £80k-per-week he currently earns could be reinvested back into the transfer market.
Branthwaite and O’Brien, who have yet to play together in the first team, have the potential to form a dependable partnership at the heart of the defence, which could be the difference regarding Everton’s top-flight status.
Keane was a decent signing when he joined seven years ago, but with real competition emerging in the centre-back ranks, his time could well be up sooner rather than later.
