There are a couple of players who have caught the attention of Chelsea and their Premier League rivals Manchester United.
For example, Chelsea and United are both interested in Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, but it looks like the former have won the race for his signature.
It has been widely reported that Delap has chosen to join Chelsea over Ruben Amorim’s side this summer.
However, the striker is not the only player who could decide to do that in the coming months.
Just as with Delap, Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite is also thought to be a target for both Chelsea and United.
In fact, it has been claimed that Chelsea have already made an approach for Branthwaite in a bid to strengthen their backline.
And after qualifying for next season’s Champions League, it appears that the Blues are in the driving seat for the player’s signature.
According to the Daily Mail, Branthwaite’s desire is to play in the Champions League and that has put Chelsea ahead of United in the running for the central defender.
Enzo Maresca is not exactly short of centre-back options. The Italian currently has Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile in his first-team squad.
Axel Disasi, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Aston Villa, is still on the club’s books, too. Nevertheless, Chelsea appear to be keen on bringing in a new centre-half.
Everton’s stance on selling Jarrad Branthwaite
While Chelsea may be able to convince Branthwaite to join them instead of United by dangling the carrot of Champions League football, they could find it difficult to get Everton to play ball.
The same Daily Mail report claims that Everton manager David Moyes is reluctant to sell the England international.
That is hardly a surprise, as Branthwaite has been one of the Toffees’ most important players this season.
| Branthwaite’s 2024/25 league stats | Total |
| Games | 30 |
| Tackles | 36 |
| Blocks | 31 |
| Interceptions | 27 |
| Clearances | 191 |
If a huge offer comes in, though, it would not be a surprise if Everton sold Branthwaite in this era of PSR.
