Everton star hasn’t had head turned by Man Utd as he stays focused on getting better at Goodison

Jarrad Branthwaite insists that he is focused on progressing as an Everton player despite being the subject of a bid from Manchester United earlier in the window.

The Toffees’ centre-back has become one of the most sought-after players in the league after a standout campaign through what was a difficult season for Everton last term.

Everton received an offer for their star defender from Manchester United but by all accounts it was a little bit of a low-ball offer and some at Goodison Park have taken the bid as a bit of an insult.

Fans of the club will have painful memories of their team being strong-armed into selling their best players to Manchester United down the years for cut rates.

However, Everton stood firm when it came to their asking price for Branthwaite and appear to have done enough to ward of the attention of the Red Devils who have since pursued and signed Leny Yoro.

MORE ON THE 2024 TRANSFER WINDOW FROM F365
👉 The 20 biggest transfers in the world in the 2024 summer transfer window
👉 Ten Premier League summer 2024 transfers for £175.3m that everyone has already forgotten
👉 Leny Yoro and other top PL transfer targets it’s okay to admit you’ve never seen play

Branthwaite believes that at this stage of his career he needs to be playing regularly in order to improve and reach his potential and he insists that his sole focus is getting better as a player and helping Everton evolve as a team.

“I think for me it’s just about taking what I learned from last season, and the season before, and putting it all together. I think last season, playing all the games I did helped me put performances in and get the experience I needed,” he told Everton’s club website.

“I’m going to take that into this season and keep learning. When you’ve got a good defensive record, it gives you confidence going into the new season. It’s not just the defenders who contribute to that, it’s the whole team.

“And it’s the way the manager has us set up to give us the best possible chance to win games, and to pick up as many points as we can. I think it’ll be the same again this season. Hopefully, we can pick up a few wins early on and get the momentum going in the new season.

“I think for any young person, any young player, it’s about playing as many games as you can and that gives you the experience you need. You can only get experience in games and taking that into each game that I’ve done last season. It helped me massively to put in the performances which I did.”

Branthwaite has set out his stall to play for England as many times as possible after he made his debut in the build-up to the Euro 2024 campaign.

While he didn’t make the final Euros squad, Branthwaite was impressive in his debut against Bosnia and Herzegovina and he has become a target for the top teams in the Premier League and even European giants.

He takes confidence from his first outing in an England shirt and his upbeat about his chances of adding to his caps over the course of the next season.

“I think you’ve got to be confident in your ability, but it’s the best league in the world. It’s got the best players and it’s obviously the most difficult league in the world, so you know the expectations you’re going to have,” he added.

“It’s a dream come true. I think for any young kids, growing up, to represent their country is the main objective. For me to able to do that – with my family there, as well – it was massive. Not just for me, but for all of my family and friends, as well. It was a great experience.

“I want to play for England as many times as I can. It’s about putting in performances for club out there for whoever the next England manager is going to be, and to impress them. Hopefully, I get many more opportunities.”