Sean Dyche gives Jarrad Branthwaite transfer update after fresh interest from Man Utd

Sean Dyche admits Everton would not be able to turn down a mega money offer from for Jarrad Branthwaite in January.

The Toffees boss is not sure if the impending takeover from the Friedkin Group being completed will solve the club’s financial position.

There’s no certainty that the deal to buy out Farhad Moshiri will be signed off by the before the transfer window opens which leaves the Toffees in a vulnerable position. United retain an interest in Branthwaite, 22, despite the summer signings of Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt.

They failed with two summer bids for the England defender and refused to meet the Blues’ £75m valuation. It is unlikely United would now go to that figure with their own concerns over PSR but Dyche could not rule out the Toffees selling any of their prized assets in the window as links with the Old Trafford club resurfaced.

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He said: “I don't know any of their [new owners] plans, their thoughts or feelings about the club at this time or the finances. So that would clearly be a new decision.

“The current decision would be that it is likely that if somebody bid enough money for any player - by the way forget about Jarrad it is not relevant [just to mention] Jarrad - any player at this football club as you have seen over the last couple of windows.

"If someone offers enough money then they go. Alex Iwobi was like that a day or so before the deadline [in summer 2023]. I didn't want to lose Alex but they said 'Look, this is a deal we've got to do.'

“I said 'ok' and that's the way it goes so therefore I better mould it towards the next lot of players and how many I can get in and use. If the number's right the player gets sold if the number isn't right they don't.”

Dyche admits his hands will be tied if the club do receive big bids for any of their top players.

He said: “It certainly won't be anything to do with me - bids for the players. Any bids for the players will not be anything to do with me. You know - or you can imagine - the financial situation here.

“So we have already had to sell players here I didn't want to sell. That is just part of the current business of the club.”

Branthwaite missed the start of the season after picking up a groin injury in the summer. The defender returned to the side for the September win over - ’s first of the season - but then suffered a thigh injury in training.

Branthwaite has been back in the Toffees’ squad for the last two games but remained an unused substitute as Dyche opted to remain loyal to Michael Keane alongside James Tarkowski. But the Everton boss insists he’s managing the return of the centre-back.

He added: “Just using Jarrad as a point in case, making sure his fitness is definitely rather than maybe. Because I thought he was may be fit enough the last time he went in, and he come out and got injured.

“So on that occasion, because I was the one saying I don’t think he’s right to play, let’s leave it another week, but everyone felt no we should.

“And that was our decision not his because he wants to play, of course he does, and so do other players.

“But sometimes you have to make the hardest decision and that one is to not play someone. And that is the harder decision when everyone is telling you you should do something, the hardest one is when you do nothing. Trust me that is the hardest thing in football management.”

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