PSV Eindhoven could be priced out of a permanent deal for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite - with the Blues reportedly rejecting a £15m bid for the defender in the January transfer window.
The former Carlise United starlet joined the Eredivisie giants on a season-long loan last summer and has since impressed manager Ruud van Nistelrooy despite a difficult start to life in Holland.
Such form has seen PSV, along with Liverpool and Manchester United, linked with a permanent move for the defender this summer. However Dutch football reporter Marco Timmer believes it could prove difficult for Van Nistelrooy to strike a deal with the Blues after reportedly receiving pushback in their pursuit of Branthwaite just two months ago.
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"PSV has already tried to buy Branthwaite a few times,” said Timmer. “They will still try to keep that boy, but that will not be easy. You are talking about amounts of more than 10 million euros.
“It is not easy for PSV to put such amounts on the table. It is a lot for PSV. (There will be a point where) you say you have to take a step back.”
Speaking to the Mirror about his future earlier this month, the 20-year-old admitted he's focused on the rest of the season with the Rood-Witten despite the ongoing noise.
"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 said.
"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 focused on doing that and performing the best I can."
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