- Jarrad Branthwaite has been a transfer target for Manchester United recently
- The £70m-rated defender has only made three league appearances this season
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Sean Dyche has admitted he’d be powerless to stop star defender Jarrad Branthwaite joining Manchester United in January unless Dan Friedkin completes his takeover at Goodison Park.
Dyche’s time at financially stricken Everton has been affected by the sale of key assets Anthony Gordon, Alex Iwobi and Amadou Onana and £70million interest from United in 22-year-old Branthwaite will be stepped up without Farhad Mashiri’s sale being completed.
‘Bids for players will not be anything to do with me. You know, or can imagine, the financial situation here,’ said Dyche candidly.
‘We have already had to sell players here I didn’t want to. That is just part of the current business of the club.
‘The current decision would be that it is likely if somebody offers enough money for any player – then they go.
Jarrad Branthwaite – who is rated at around £70million – has struggled with fitness at the start of this season
Sean Dyche opened up on the difficulty in keeping hold of players considering the club’s current financial position
‘Alex Iwobi was like that a day or so before the deadline. I didn’t want to lose him but they said “look, this a deal we’ve got to do. That’s the way it goes so I thought I better work towards the next lot of players I could get in and use.’
Everton were docked points last season for breaches of Premier League financial rules. With Friedkin in advanced talks to take over, Dyche isn’t sure how new ownership would alter the likelihood of sales.
‘I don’t know – that is something you will have to ask them if they come in,’ he said.
‘I haven’t met them, I don’t know any of their plans, thoughts or feelings about the club or finances, so that would clearly be a new decision.
‘Jarrad’s valuation, like every single player, it’s a bit like selling your house. We used to all have a go and say “that looks about right” but who knows now?’
Branthwaite has started only once this season following groin surgery but pressure is…