On-loan Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite has confirmed he will return to the Blues before a decision is made on his future.
The 20-year-old reunited with former Goodison Park director of football, Marcel Brands, when he brought the centre-back to PSV Eindhoven on a temporary deal.
It was the 60-year-old who brought him as a 17-year-old to Merseyside when he swapped League Two for the Premier League. The Dutchman is a keen admirer of the England defender and it was reported that a January bid from the Eredivisie side was rejected by the Blues.
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During the transfer window at the beginning of the year, Branthwaite was said to be courting interest from Manchester United and Liverpool. His time in the Netherlands has been successful under former Red Devils striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, scoring four goals in 26 appearances across all competitions.
Sean Dyche replaced Frank Lampard on the eve of the January market slamming shut and the 20-year-old has revealed that the Everton boss made contact with him to check in on his temporary spell.
"That was just after he signed with the club. He especially wanted to introduce himself and asked me how I am doing and how things are here at PSV. It was a personal conversation, which I really appreciate," he said in an interview with Dutch outlet NOS.
With speculation swirling around his future in the English top-flight, the defender admitted he is "open" to an Everton departure but will return to the north west before making his decision.
He added: "I am open to something in Eindhoven. But I am under contract with Everton, which is also a fantastic club. I will go back there after this season and we will see what my decision will be."
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