Former Manchester United Scout Provides Update On This Everton Star: Are They Actually Better Off Keeping Him For Another Season? | OneFootball

Everton are at a real turning point in their long history. The 2025-26 campaign is the club’s 148th season overall and their 72nd year straight in the top flight. But more than just hitting those milestones, the Toffees have a much bigger story to tell this year, and that’s the move to Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

Leaving Goodison Park behind for the Liverpool waterfront, the club now play in a 52,769-capacity venue, which is the seventh-largest in the Premier League. Under David Moyes, who came back to steady the ship, Everton have quietly found their feet again, building a sense of stability that seemed out of reach when they were fighting off relegation every year.

Manchester United Back Away as Branthwaite Fights to Reclaim His Place

Jarrad Branthwaite’s season has felt less like a transfer story and more like a long medical update. The defender picked up a hamstring injury during pre-season training and didn’t feature for David Moyes’ side at all during the early stages of the 2025-26 campaign. Things went from bad to worse when what was first called a minor niggle turned into a serious setback.

He eventually needed surgery, with Everton putting him on a strict rehab program afterwards. While Michael Keane filled in, the specific quality Branthwaite offers was hard to replace. He finally returned in January and has started five of the last seven matches, though the staff are still being careful with his minutes to make sure he doesn’t tweak anything.

With all this going on, former Manchester United coach Mick Brown told Football Insider exactly why the transfer talk has gone quiet. Brown was blunt, saying he doesn’t see Branthwaite leaving Everton anytime soon. He argued that top clubs like Manchester United have backed off because the defender has spent so much time on the sidelines this year.

According to Brown, Branthwaite needs to prove he can stay fit, get back to his old level, and stay there for a good while before anyone considers spending big money on him. He played 30 Premier League games last season and helped keep eight clean sheets, so the talent is obviously there. The real issue now is simply whether he can stay on the pitch.

“I can’t see Branthwaite leaving Everton any time soon,” Brown told Football Insider.

“There’s been talk about him for a long time, but I remember saying before after he picked up his first injury, he still has a lot to prove.

“He was building a strong reputation for himself, but he’s got to prove he can stay fit, get back to the level he was at before, and convince everybody he’s capable of going on.

“Particularly teams like Man United, who I’m told have backed away a bit from their interest because he’s hardly played so far this season.

“They’ve been watching him for a while, but they’re not going to make a move when he’s hardly played, because you don’t know how he’ll be when he’s back fit.

“His focus has to be on getting back into the Everton team for a sustained period and proving to everybody that he can still do a job.”

Are Everton Actually Better Off Keeping Branthwaite for Another Season?

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 28: Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Everton at St James’ Park on February 28, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

The short answer is yes, and it’s about more than just making things easy. The fact that Everton got Branthwaite to sign a new five-year deal in July shows just how much they’re building around him; letting him go now would feel like a massive step backwards in their planning.

On top of that, selling a player who has missed most of the season would likely mean accepting a much lower price than what Manchester United were talking about last year. Everton would end up losing a star player without even getting the fee they think he’s worth. Moyes likes to build his defence around a tall, ball-playing centre-back, and Branthwaite is his best option for that role.

In reality, Everton don’t lose much by being patient. The squad still need more depth and more goals, but the work Moyes has done shows a club looking at the big picture rather than rushing for a quick fix. Keeping Branthwaite fit and in the starting lineup for a full season next year would do wonders for his market value and the team’s stability, compared to selling him now while people are still questioning his fitness.