The game-changing £40m double transfer deal that could take Everton to the next level
Everton have been linked with two transfer targets that would help them forget about Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana – and keep moving forward next season.
This may not be an easy summer at Everton. Thanks to Sean Dyche’s hard-boiled management they dodged relegation from the Premier League with relative ease despite a double points deduction, but they are likely to lose several key players in the summer and have little clarity over who will own the club come August. Change is coming, and it might not be a pleasant process.
The Toffees’ ability to operate in the transfer market is likely to be restricted by a challenging financial situation and owners who don’t want to continue investing substantial sums into the club – and that means much of the summer may be spent finding replacements for departing stars after the fact. With key players like Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana likely to move on, getting the right players to replace them will be critical.
Everton have, inevitably, been linked with a range of players in both roles. Some rumours seem plausible, others rather less so – but there are two standout signings that they could conceivably make that would plug those holes rather more effectively than the alternatives.
At centre-back, it’s hard to imagine that Everton could do a great deal better than a bid for Hull City’s Jacob Greaves, one of the best young centre-backs in the Championship and a player who has been persistently linked with a move to the Premier League, with Goodison Park a possible destination.
He offers a lot of the same qualities that Branthwaite has. He’s tall at 6’4” and dominant in the air, a rugged tackler and is superb at anticipating and dealing with direct balls over the top. Branthwaite has been one of the best last lines of defence in the top flight this season, and Greaves much the same in the second tier.
But while Branthwaite is improving his technique and passing at a steady clip, Greaves seems to be ahead of him on that score. He’s more comfortable on the ball and can take it out of defence with his feet or with quick passes according to circumstances. Greaves hasn’t yet been tested at the highest level and there will be a perfectly reasonable question mark over what he can do until he is, but he seems to have a more well-rounded skill set than Branthwaite.
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