Manchester City are preparing for the inevitable. John Stones, a standard bearer of this modern City dynasty, looks set to depart the Etihad this summ...
Manchester City are preparing for the inevitable. John Stones, a standard bearer of this modern City dynasty, looks set to depart the Etihad this summer. That leaves a gaping hole in Pep Guardiola's backline, a defence that has already creaked more than usual this season. Enter Jarrad Branthwaite, the Everton colossus who has turned heads across the Premier League. GoalZaza understands that City have identified the 23. year. old as their prime target, with Everton bracing themselves for a bid somewhere in the region of £70 million.Let's be honest, that is a lot of money for a centre back who, for all his undeniable promise, is still learning his trade at the sharp end. But this is the market City have helped create. Branthwaite offers exactly what Guardiola craves: a left footed presence on the left side of a defensive duo, genuine composure in possession, and the physicality to handle the blunt force trauma of a Premier League Saturday. He is not the finished article, but his performances for Sean Dyche's Everton, often behind the ball in a rigid low block, have shown a reading of the game that belies his years.The key question is whether he can adapt to City's high line and the relentless demands of transitional play. At Everton, he is told to stand firm and react. At City, he will be asked to step up, to trigger the press, and to build from the back under intense pressure. That is a different kind of bravery. Stones made that transition look easy, but his reading of danger and his ability to step into midfield were world class. Branthwaite has the raw materials, but the tuition fee at Guardiola's school of defence is steep.Everton, as you might expect, are playing hardball. They have no need to sell, not when they have finally started to build something solid under Dyche. Letting their crown jewel leave for anything less than a king's ransom would be folly. But £70 million is a king's ransom. If City are serious, and they have shown they can be ruthless in the market before, this deal will get done. The question is whether the money is better spent on a ready made superstar or on someone who might just become one. In the world of elite football, that is the gamble that defines a summer.For City, this is not just a signing. It is a statement of intent. The backline rebuild has begun, and Branthwaite is the first brick in that wall.
