Reporter Pete O’Rourke has dropped a massive update regarding the future of a “special” Everton player, with Dan Friedkin making his presence felt straight away.
Everton takeover and manager news
The Blues picked up a vital 2-1 win at home to Crystal Palace last Saturday, in what was their first Premier League victory of the season, easing a significant amount of pressure on manager Sean Dyche.
The Englishman has been battling to save his job after some dreadful results in the early weeks of the campaign – they blew back-to-back 2-0 leads at home to Bournemouth and away to Aston Villa – which inevitably led to candidates being backed to replace him, including David Moyes and Gareth Southgate.
A recent claim has suggested that Dyche is safe for the time being, especially after the Palace triumph over the weekend, but he will still know that his job is under scrutiny, as The Friedkin Group look to make the right decisions when they take control.
Keeping hold of the important players at Goodison Park is of the utmost importance for the manager, as he looks to steer his side well clear of danger in the coming weeks and months.
Big update on “special” Everton star’s future
According to Football Insider‘s O’Rourke, Friedkin is “unwilling” to sell Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite in the January transfer window, with the Blues’ incoming new owner “keen to not send out the wrong signals to Evertonians or other Premier League clubs” by moving him on.
The 22-year-old was constantly linked with a move away from Goodison in the summer, with the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United seen as suitors, but he ended up remaining on Merseyside, and Friedkin plans to make it clear from the off that the Blues will not be bullied into selling their stars.
This is a decision that will be met with such positivity by Everton supporters, considering the £35,000-a-week Branthwaite is one of the most prized assets in their squad currently. The Blues centre-back has such a high ceiling as a player, with Jamie Carragher under no illusions about his ability.
“Branthwaite has been outstanding. I think this lad is pretty special. He’s a big part of why Everton in my eyes have a good chance of staying up, him and his partnership with [James] Tarkowski.”
In truth, Everton will be aware that there is going to continue to be plenty of interest in Branthwaite, given his status as a potential future starter for England, but it is refreshing that Friedkin is digging his heels in, rather than simply cashing in and receiving huge money.
It is unlikely that the defender will spend the rest of his career at Goodison, with his ambitions likely to see him wanting to join a Champions League-playing team, but retaining his services for as long as possible can only aid Dyche and the current direction of the club.
Should Branthwaite demand a move away, it is then a case of The Friedkin Group receiving as big a fee as possible, before using the funds to considerably strengthen the squad moving forward.