Rangers have been on the look out for a left-sided centre-half pretty much since the day Filip Helander suffered his first long-term injury and Jarrad Branthwaite was one of the names mentioned.
The England Under-21 international is hoping to force his way into Gareth Southgate’s senior team and his current form suggests that he could be in with a chance given the dearth of talent in that particular area.
It isn’t just Southgate that is taking notice, Tottenham Hotspur and Man Utd are both said to be interested in former Rangers target Jarrad Branthwaite with Sean Dyche slapping a £75m transfer fee on his young defender, according to a report on X.
Rangers could’ve signed £75m man Jarrad Branthwaite cheap
Branthwaite will join a long list of names of players who were scouted by the Light Blues recruitment team only for someone else to be signed instead or no offers to be made, but this one, is as sore as it gets.
This summer, Petar Ratkov and Nikola Krstovic were heavily tipped to join the Rangers squad as it went under a rebuild only for similar fees to be paid for Sam Lammers and Cyriel Dessers to bring them to Ibrox.
Then Rangers manager Steven Gerrard decided against a move for Jarrad Branthwaite with George Edmundson signed instead and Connor Goldson, Filip Helander, Nikola Katic already in the squad.
Signing young players with potential is never an accurate science but for £750,000, the 6ft 6inch tall centre-half was probably worth the punt given that he was already playing senior football and attracting admirers.
Now, according to Jacque Talbot of Football Transfers, that fee has increased by 100 to £75m with Spurs and Man Utd looking to improve their home grown quota’s with the potential England international.
A fee only Harry Maguire can match for a British defender.
Rangers have to scout, and gamble, on players like Jarrad Branthwaite.
Calvin Bassey was a couple of years older when he joined but is a great example, Charlie McCann didn’t work out but was the right idea, not all of them will be a success.
And not all of them will go on to demand £75m transfer fees.
