Manchester City Monitors Everton Defender Jarrad Branthwaite Amid £70M Valuation

Manchester City is reportedly among the clubs closely monitoring Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window. Everton has indicated that it will demand in excess of £70 million for the highly-rated centre-back.

A potential transfer to Manchester City for Branthwaite, an England international, would largely depend on an existing player departing the Etihad Stadium's defensive department. The 23-year-old has developed significantly under David Moyes, becoming one of the Premier League's most reliable defenders.

Everton is reportedly under no pressure to sell one of its key assets and would only consider an offer that reflects the defender's quality and age. Branthwaite had previously been linked with Manchester City two years ago before committing his future to Everton.

Manchester City's current central defensive options include Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Marc Guehi, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Nathan Ake. Reports suggest that Dias and Gvardiol are considering their futures at the club, while Ake, who is entering the final year of his contract, has also been linked with a potential exit this summer.

The interest in Branthwaite aligns with Manchester City's recruitment strategy, consistent with director of football Hugo Viana's approach of identifying high-potential profiles before they reach peak market value. However, the financial and squad conditions mean that Branthwaite is currently admired by City rather than being an active pursuit, pending shifts in circumstances at the club.

According to Yahoo Sports Soccer, any pursuit of Branthwaite would likely require a departure from City's existing centre-back options.