As the 2023/24 campaign draws closer to the January transfer window, it's becoming increasingly clear that Tottenham Hotspur are going to launch a transfer bid in January to strengthen the ranks.
Ange Postecoglou deserves all the plaudits for the work forged down the N17 following his summer appointment, taking a beleaguered Premier League outfit and steering it back into the ascendancy.
"Absolutely need" – BBC pundit says Spurs could push star by signing 21 y/o
Tottenham are gearing up for January as Ange Postecoglou aims to strengthen his squad…
BySean Markus CliffordDec 1, 2023
The results spoke for themself, with eight victories and two draws across the opening ten matches of the term taking Spurs above the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal, into pole position.
Tottenham transfer news – Jarrad Branthwaite
According to a report from the Evening Standard earlier this week, Tottenham have included Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite in their list of options.
While OGC Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo is highlighted as the prime target, Branthwaite could represent a Premier League-experienced acquisition to provide Spurs' starring defensive options with fierce competition.
Manchester United had been interested in the summer but were quoted at £25m, but with the 21-year-old making such a stellar start to the Premier League season, such a valuation may well skyrocket.
Jarrad Branthwaite's style of play
Branthwaite has been in fine fettle since arriving back on Merseyside in the summer, having completed a loan move with PSV Eindhoven, and has swiftly become a mainstay in Sean Dyche's much-improved Toffees team.
The caveat, however, comes in the form of a ten-point deduction following an investigation into a breach of FFP, with the ruling now plunging the club back into the relegation zone and five points adrift from 17th-placed Luton Town.
Regardless, Branthwaite has been first-class and has started 11 league matches in succession after sitting the first two games (both losses) on the bench.
In awe of the English titan's blooming performances, writer Ell Brettland recently said this: "Branthwaite just always makes the right decision. And if he doesn’t he has the ability, pace and skill to rectify it.
He's so composed on the ball and in the tackle and his timing is perfect. He reads the game so well. What an unbelievable natural talent. Pure football brain."
As per FBref, the Carlisle native ranks among the top 9% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for blocks, the top 16% for tackles and the top 21% for interceptions per 90, highlighting a pure skill in his defensive craft, energetic and tenacious in closing down and dispossessing opposition.
The 6 foot 5 defender looks a genuine star in the making, and if Daniel Levy swoops then he would avenge the club's misfire on Richarlison last summer, the Brazilian forward flattering to deceive since joining the fold.
Richarlison completed a £60m transfer from Everton in 2022 after posting 67 direct goal contributions from 153 outings, but he only scored once in the English top-flight last year and was rebuked for his ineffective displays.
While he has shown signs of improving this season, under Postecoglou's wing, there's still a distance to travel before he starts living up to that price tag.
The £35k-per-week Branthwaite is only young but he offers all the attributes to succeed for a long time in the Premier League, incredibly averaging two tackles, five clearances and 7.2 ball recoveries per game this term, as per Sofascore.
In truth Levy simply has to swoop – not least to atone for his prior Richarlison blunder – with the player's age and profile the perfect mix to nurture to prominence over the coming years, aiding Tottenham in their ascent.
