Jarrad Branthwaite is still attracting interest (Picture: Getty)
Sean Dyche admitted he is not surprised to see Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite continually linked with rival Premier League clubs.
Branthwaite emerged as a top target for Manchester United this summer after an impressive Premier League campaign which almost saw the centre-back make England’s final 26-man squad for Euro 2024.
United saw two bids rejected by Everton but still have an interest in the defender, while recent reports suggest that Liverpool are also considering a bid for the 22-year-old in the new year.
Dyche insisted that Branthwaite remains happy at the club and is hopeful that a pending takeover from The Friedkin Group could help the club’s chance of keeping their prized asset.
‘I think I said in the summer that any player, it’s a worldwide market now, it’s not just about one player,’ he said at a press conference on Thursday.
‘The way the game changed, certainly in Europe, the transfer situation has opened up. It’s not a surprise good players are linked with other clubs. I said in the summer he’ll be staying here and he is so that’s good.’
Asked about how the pending takeover could affect the sale of Branthwaite, Dyche replied: ‘The club has a situation it is still looking upon. If new ownership goes through, that might change things financially but we don’t know that yet. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Sean Dyche is hopeful that a pending takeover can help Everton hold on to Branthwaite (Picture: Getty)
‘I didn’t really speak to him about it [interest from United in the summer], he’s still here. I’m not going to sit there and chat endlessly about stories in the paper which 99 per cent are not true so there’s no point.
‘He seems fine other than being injured, which has been a blow to him, he’s been fine.’
Having picked up their first win of the season last weekend against Crystal Palace, the Toffees will now look to put more distance between themselves and the relegation zone when they host Newcastle on Saturday.
And Dyche is hopeful his side can lean on their impressive record from last season which saw them pick up four points out of a possible six against Eddie Howe’s side.
‘They’re a good outfit, we know that,’ he said. ‘They’ve invested well and they’re well coached by Eddie. I think they do a good job there. He’s someone I definitely respect in the game.
‘But our record against them was good last season, and there’s certainly no given reason why we can’t replicate that record, but you’ve got to play well. We’ve got to play well from the start to the finish.’
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