Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen on signing 22-year-old Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.
According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham are plotting a January move for the £80 million-rated Jarrad Branthwaite, but Everton are unlikely to sanction his departure this month.
The 22-year-old is one of the best central defenders in the league and Everton will not want to lose a player of his quality. The Toffees are not safe from relegation yet and he will be crucial to their hopes of securing safety in the Premier League.
Everton cannot afford to sell a player of his quality midway through the season. The Merseyside outfit are hoping to tie him down a new deal.
Any club hoping to sign Branthwaite might have to wait until the end of the season. He has been linked with clubs like Manchester United and Real Madrid in recent months as well. It will be interesting to see if Tottenham step up their efforts to sign the player with an official proposal.
It is highly unlikely that they will be able to pay around £80 million for the player. They have spent substantial amounts of money to improve the squad in recent months and splashing out £80 million on the England international could be difficult for them, especially with the PSR regulations in place.
Spurs need a central defender
Meanwhile, it is no surprise that Tottenham are keen on the defender. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are sidelined with injuries and Tottenham have just one fit central defender at the club right now. They need to bring in another quality central defender and Branthwaite would be a quality acquisition.
The 22-year-old has the attributes to develop into a top-class player and he could end up justifying the £80 million investment in the long term.
He will look to take the next step up in his career and join a big club capable of pushing for trophies. Tottenham could be an attractive destination for him. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops.
Spurs need to improve the other areas of their squad as well and they cannot afford to pay over the odds for one player.
