Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite has opened up on the transfer speculation linking him with a summer move away from Goodison Park.
The Blues centre-back is currently on loan with PSV Eindhoven and is impressing in the Eredivisie. Branthwaite has made 28 appearances in all competitions this season for PSV and even has four goals to his name.
Two of his goals came in the KNVB Cup match against FC Emmen last month. That performance, along with his general form, has led to speculation that he will be in demand when the transfer window opens.
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Manchester United, Liverpool and Roma have all been credited with an interest in signing Branthwaite while PSV are keen to keep him.
"I think when all of those clubs are interested and watching your games, it's gonna be one of them where you take notice,” Branthwaite told The Mirror.
"But for me it's just about playing the games. The first half of the season, I wasn't playing as many as I wanted, but now I'm just fully focussed on doing that and performing the best I can."
While Branthwaite has been on loan in the Netherlands, Everton have had a change in manager with Sean Dyche replacing Frank Lampard in January.
The 20-year-old has explained how frequent changes in the Blues hotseat has made life difficult for him after arriving from Carlisle United in January 2020 and why he he hopes it can be different under Dyche’s leadership.
"I hope so because I've been there three years now and I've had numerous managers, so for a young player it's hard to settle," said Branthwaite.
"When a different manager comes in, you've got to try and impress, and when you're a young player it's not easy to get in the team.
"Obviously they're gonna pick the experienced players over you and that sort of thing. It's definitely something I'm hoping for, a bit of stability which will help not just me but also help other young players. And it'll help the team as well if we've got a manager which we know.
"You can see he's getting the results at home and he's had a decent few results away, so hopefully he brings us up the table. I'm looking forward to finishing the season here, playing the games and then seeing what happens and so on."
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