'Huge statement' - Everton given strong new stadium message over Jarrad Branthwaite

Former Everton centre-back Richard Dunne believes Jarrad Branthwaite could be a leader for the club for many years at their new stadium/ But he is less sure about manager Sean Dyche’s future when the Blues relocate from Goodison Park.

Everton are currently playing their final season at Goodison, the first purpose-built football ground in England, where they have been based since 1892. After 135 years in Walton, the Blues are making the two-mile journey to Vauxhall with a switch to the 52,888 capacity stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock for the start of the 2025/26 campaign.

Dunne, who made his debut for Everton as a 17-year-old before going on to make 431 Premier League appearances throughout his career, hopes that Branthwaite is still with the Blues when they switch to the Mersey waterfront.

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The 22-year-old was Everton’s breakthrough star of last season and was the subject of two rejected bids from Manchester United over the summer of £35million plus add ons in June and then £45million plus add ons in July.

Through the transfer window, the Blues insisted they would not be bullied into selling Branthwaite on the cheap and were actively planning on having him with them for 2024/25 unless a mega offer came in. Given the £80million fee that Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire in 2019, the £75million Chelsea paid for Wesley Fofana in 2022 and the £77million Manchester City paid for Josko Gvardiol in 2023, Goodison Park chiefs consider Branthwaite to be in the same bracket, especially given the premium for both left-footed defenders and homegrown talent.

And, speaking courtesy of Gambling Zone, Dunne said: “I think it was a huge achievement from the club to be able to hold out for the fee that they wanted for Jarrad Branthwaite. I liked that about them in the summer.

“To be able to keep a hold of him, straight away you've got the foundation for your next team. The team that's going to challenge for that top ten or the team that's going to challenge for the top six.

“If they can secure his services for a long time, he could be there for the next 10 or 15 years and can be the real leader of the Everton revolution. I think it was a huge, important statement for them as a football club.”

Branthwaite was given his first prolonged run in the side by Dyche but with the Everton manager’s current contract due to expire this summer, Dunne has his doubts whether the former Burnley boss will be offered a new deal.

Asked ahead of the Crystal Palace home game – the first fixture after Farhad Moshiri’s deal to sell his entire 94.1% stake to the Friedkin Group was announced – whether he’d like to be the manager who leads the Blues into their new stadium, Dyche said: “Of course. What, to dig this out for 20-whatever-it-would-be-by-then months and them to go ‘cheers, thanks for looking after us, off you pop?’ Of course I would, but there is no divine right to just go ‘oh well, you are definitely the person to do that’. And if not, then that is the way it goes.”

Houston-based billionaire Dan Friedkin already owns Roma and is on his fourth head coach this year though with the Serie A side, so Dunne has got his doubts. The 45-year-old said: “In football, new owners normally bring their own man in to do things.

“I think Sean Dyche signed a two-year contract when he came in. His contract may be up at the end of the season, and I think that might be a more natural thing for him to leave when it expires.

“I don't see them sacking him during the season. I think he's done an amazing job for Everton, and I think he deserves to at least see out the season and be given the opportunity to prove himself to the owners that he can be the one to lead them forward.

“Sean Dyche has been restricted in terms of what he actually can do because of the size of the squad that he's got, the players that he's been given. If he was given money, time and the opportunity to build a squad, I'm sure he could do it as well, but the way it is, new owners tend to go their own way, so it might be difficult for him to stay there.”