Everton and star centerback Jarrad Branthwaite are nearing an agreement on a new extended contract with just a few details to be ironed out.
The deal is reported to be a five-year contract, which will keep Branthwaite on Merseyside way past his current deal, which includes just a club option for 2026, and will pay him a much higher wage.
Most importantly, it gives Everton greater control over the Englishman’s future, as anyone coming in to steal him away from the Toffees will have to pay an even larger fee in order to lure him away. And, of course, Branthwaite is the type of player you want to build your defense around rather than someone you use to gain a profit.
The contract is supposed to be ready to sign as early as next week, which is starting to look like a key time in Everton’s summer. While the rumors have been flying around on who Everton are keen to sign, it doesn’t look like anything will happen until the start of the new fiscal year on July 1.
And extending Branthwaite’s contract would be an ideal way to kickstart the proceedings of the summer because it would be a massive statement from The Friedkin Group as to their intentions.
Everton aren’t a club to be pushed around and forced into making sales of players they’d prefer to keep. Instead, they hope to turn the corner and begin to make the march toward the top half of the table.
Maybe it’s overstating things, but Branthwaite’s new contract feels like the beginning of new and great things for Everton.
