Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite has “a lot of the traits” to replace Conor Coady and Yerry Mina at Goodison Park, according to journalist Dean Jones.
How have Coady and Mina been performing?
Coady first arrived on Merseyside on a season-long loan from Premier League rivals Wolves last summer and despite having made 23 appearances since that time, has failed to live up to expectations and is ranked the 16th worst player out of the 25 squad members, recording a match rating of 6.43, as per WhoScored.
Mina, on the other hand, has been extremely injury prone and failed to ever establish himself in the first-team having spent 12 spells on the sidelines since joining, not to mention that he’s made just four appearances across all competitions this season and is yet to feature under Sean Dyche.
The Toffees’ young centre-back is currently out on a season-long loan at PSV Eindhoven where he has been impressing in his 30 senior outings to date so far, and as he’s set to return to the Blues this summer, he could be handed a more senior role heading into the 2023/24 campaign, regardless of the club's league status.
Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones was asked whether he thought Branthwaite had the required qualities to establish his place in the first-team and succeed the likes of Coady and Mina, to which he replied:
“Yeah, it looks like it. He's certainly got a lot of the traits that you would look for in somebody to not only have the composure and the level headedness to handle the Premier League but the confidence too. So it seems like they've got the makings of a good player there.”
Should Branthwaite be given a chance at Everton?
Branthwaite has already made 13 first-team appearances for Everton so they clearly see the potential that he’s got and considering how much he’s developed at PSV, Dyche should definitely give him the opportunity to prove himself.
The 6 foot 5 colossus is currently averaging 3.5 clearances and 2.1 aerial wins per Eredivisie game, via WhoScored, and has won 12 tackles from 20 players challenged, highlighting the rock he’s been at the heart of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s backline.
Alongside being strong in defence, the £15k-per-week starlet is also capable of contributing to his team’s efforts at the opposite end of the pitch having scored four goals and provided an assist this season with his height being extremely handy when it comes to set pieces, so there's no reason why he wouldn't be able to perform at the same level or even better than the boss' current centre-back options at Goodison Park.