Tottenham want to sign Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite in January
Ange Postecoglou had hoped to make progress in his second season at Tottenham Hotspur after guiding the club to Europa League qualification in what was a fine debut campaign.
The Lilywhites broke their club-transfer record in the summer by signing Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth while adding young talents such as Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert to the squad. However, the North London club are now looking to secure further reinforcements after a loss of form has seen them heading into 2025 sitting 11 points adrift of the Champions League qualification places.
Injuries to Spurs’ backline this season has exposed their lack of depth in the position, with young midfielder Archie Gray forced to play in an unfamiliar centre-back role at times. Micky Van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies are currently on the treatment table, while Radu Dragusin has also suffered fitness problems.
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As a result, adding another central defender has to be prioritised by the chiefs at the Hotspur Way this month, as Ange Postecoglou continues to battle to keep his job.
According to a report from The Daily Mail (h/t TEAMtalk), Tottenham are ‘holding internal talks’ over a potential move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.
Jarrad Branthwaite was consistently linked to Manchester United throughout the summer transfer window. However, no move materialized and he stayed at Everton, as Man United signed Matthijs De Ligt and Leny Yoro instead.
The English defender endured an injury-hit start to the 2024/25 campaign, missing nine games across all competitions due to a groin problem. He has not managed to put in consistent displays and build on last season which was his breakout year at Goodison Park. Yet, the 22-year-old continues to be linked with a move away from Everton.
The aforementioned report (h/t TEAMtalk) adds Spurs consider Branthwaite as a replacement for Davies, whose contract at White Hart Lane expires in June, given his ability to operate in central defence or fill in at left-back.
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However, a January deal looks difficult to crack considering that the Merseyside club slapped an £80million price tag on the Englishman last summer. Plus, as he is one of the most important players in Sean Dyche’s side, it would make no sense for the Toffees to part ways with him midway through the season especially with them battling against relegation for the third season running.
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Keeping that in mind, a potential January move for Branthwaite looks very much off the cards as Big Ange is set to have a paltry January budget. Therefore, it would make sense for Tottenham to shift their focus to alternative defensive targets.
