Liverpool are reportedly contemplating whether to make a future approach for one of Everton's star players.
Arne Slot is still in the early days of his reign at Anfield, yet the Dutchman has made a statement start to life in the Premier League.
Victories over Ipswich Town, Brentford and Manchester United have been recorded in their opening three fixtures, each without conceding a goal.
While much has been made of Federico Chiesa joining an array of attacking quality at Slot's disposal, three shutouts in succession is arguably the standout statistic.
However, in terms of long-term security at the back, Liverpool are not necessarily blessed with key man Virgil van Dijk now 33 and possessing less than a year on his contract.
Ibrahima Konate has sometimes struggled with injuries, the versatile Joe Gomez has been linked with a transfer elsewhere and academy graduate Jarell Quansah has just one year of Premier League football under his belt.
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Liverpool keeping track of Branthwaite
As a result of the respective issues, Liverpool's recruitment team have a duty to identify at least one fresh face for the middle of their backline.
According to Football Insider, there is a 'concrete' interest in breaching the Merseyside divide for Jarrad Branthwaite.
Liverpool have allegedly already made contact of some sort with the representatives of the England international to determine whether a shock transfer is plausible.
The report suggests that the 22-year-old would be open to signing for Liverpool at a time when his future remains a hot topic for debate.
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How may Everton handle the situation?
With his stock having risen during 2023-24, Branthwaite was the subject of strong interest from Manchester United during the first half of the summer transfer window.
However, the Toffees board rejected several bids, sticking to their stance of wanting to recoup at least £65m for the newly-capped Three Lions man.
That said, Branthwaite now has less than three years left on his contract and is unlikely to be open to an extension when he knows that teams participating in Europe are keen on his services.
At some stage, Everton cashing in seems inevitable, even with Branthwaite's absence from the team through injury being felt throughout August with Sean Dyche's side conceding 10 times in three Premier League fixtures.
Regardless of how Everton fare this season, the likelihood is that they will need to be open to offers next summer.
Darren Plant
