Everton have got a major boost as Jarrad Branthwaite has committed his future to the club by signing a new five-year contract.
The England international defender was the subject of two bids from Manchester United last summer, which Everton rejected, and they have demonstrated their determination to keep the 23-year-old by tying him down until 2030.
Branthwaite said it was a simple decision to stay as he looked forward to playing for Everton at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
He explained: “I’m over the moon. It's been something we've been talking about since the end of the season and to get it signed now is something I'm really excited about.
“The trust the club's put in me and how many games I've played over the past two seasons has made it quite an easy decision for me to stay and to keep progressing as a player.
“I know the club. I feel loved by the players – we’ve got a good group here – and the fans. Over the past few years, I’ve seen the impact the fans have on us as a team and how much it means to them. And, obviously, with the new stadium we’ve got here, the new ownership and the new manager, it's an exciting project and it's something I want to be part of.
“Moving to the new stadium together and having that first game at home is something we’re all looking forward to. We want to go again and push for a good season.”
Branthwaite, who joined Everton from Carlisle in January 2020, broke into the team at the start of last season and has formed a fine central-defensive partnership with James Tarkowski.
Everton have had one of the five best defensive records in each of the last two Premier League seasons, while Branthwaite was voted their Players’ Player of the Year in 2023-24.
Everton have been involved in relegation battles in recent years but Branthwaite has set his sights on improvement under manager David Moyes. His decision to stay gives them a boost as Moyes looks to rebuild. Charly Alcaraz has become their first summer signing and they had been in talks with Fulham full-back Kenny Tete but Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure are among those leaving.
“I’ve been at Everton for five-and-a-half years now and I've seen the change the club's had over the past six months,” Branthwaite explained. “It's very exciting for us as a team, as players, to have that going on in the background and obviously to be starting the new season at the new stadium.
“The ambition was a huge thing. The way the manager wants us to go as a team and what he wants us to do for next season and where he wants us to challenge for has had a big impact on the decision. I think you saw towards the end of last season as a team what we can do.
“The manager has been really good, not only for me but for the group. You saw the change in results, the change in mood since he came in. He drives the demands every day to be better.”
Moyes added: “We're delighted Jarrad has committed his future to us. He is still only 23 and his best years are hopefully still ahead of him. We believe he can have a huge role to play in an exciting new era at the football club.”
