According to the Daily Mail, Everton have seen a bid of £500k plus significant add-ons rejected, as they chase the signature of Rangers-linked centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite.
Citing Sky Sports, the Scottish Sun reported on Wednesday that the Toffees were set to land the Carlisle United starlet for a fee of around £750,000, but it appears they weren’t on the brink of a deal after all.
Both Rangers and Celtic are said to have sent scouts south of the border to watch the 17-year-old over the last few months with a view to a possible transfer [Scottish Sun].
The teenager has made 14 senior appearances for The Cumbrians during this breakthrough campaign, but he missed Wednesday’s defeat to Crewe Alexandra due to a thigh injury.
Verdict
The claim that Carlisle have turned down £500k for Branthwaite could be taken as both good and bad news for the Gers.
The positive is that they aren’t certain to miss out on the League Two talent and that there’s still time to make a move to try to stop him heading to Goodison Park.
However, the bad news is that if £500k plus add-ons isn’t enough, whoever wants Branthwaite is clearly going to have to fork out a significant fee.
With the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Leicester City all also credited with interest [News and Star], it’s tough to see how the Gers can compete on this one, particularly considering Steven Gerrard is unlikely to be able to offer the youngster any realistic prospect of senior game time.
With Connor Goldson, Nikola Katic, Filip Helander and George Edmundson already at the club, the Gers are well-stocked in the centre of defence.
