Jarrad Branthwaite explains “easy decision” behind new Everton contract as Man United, Chelsea suffer transfer blow

Everton have announced that star defender Jarrad Branthwaite has signed a new five-year contract with the club until the end of June 2030.

Branthwaite, who turned 23 last week, joined Everton from boyhood club Carlisle in January 2020 and following loan spells at Blackburn Rovers and PSV Eindhoven, he has established himself as a key part of the Toffees’ defence over the last two seasons.

The one-cap England international was part of the Everton backline that has ended each of the last two Premier League campaigns with the fourth-best defensive record in the division, contributing to the club keeping 21 clean sheets in that time.

Branthwaite was named Everton’s Players’ Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season following a breakthrough campaign in 2023-24, before reclaiming the Young Player of the Season prize for 2024-25 with a whopping 89% of the fan vote.

The towering 6ft 5in centre-back has made a total of 86 first-team appearances for Everton across all competitions and his impressive rise has understandably caught the attention of several top Premier League clubs including Manchester United, who are understood to have held a strong interest in him for some time.

Chelsea have also been credited with an interest in Branthwaite, as have Everton’s rivals Liverpool as well as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, but the defender has seemingly put an end to transfer speculation by committing his long-term future to the Toffees.

Jarrad Branthwaite 2030. ✍️

— Everton (@Everton) July 2, 2025

Branthwaite: ‘Everton extension was quite an easy decision’

“I’m over the moon. It's been something we've been talking about since the end of the season and to get it signed now is something I'm really excited about, Branthwaite told evertontv after penning his new deal.

"The trust the club's put in me and how many games I've played over the past two seasons has made it quite an easy decision for me to stay and to keep progressing as a player.

“I know the club. I feel loved by the players - we’ve got a good group here - and the fans. Over the past few years, I’ve seen the impact the fans have on us as a team and how much it means to them. And, obviously, with the new stadium we’ve got here, the new ownership and the new manager, it's an exciting project and it's something I want to be part of.

“Moving to the new stadium together and having that first game at home is something we’re all looking forward to. We want to go again and push for a good season.”

While some would assume that joining a top Premier League team, one possible competing in Europe, would appeal to Branthwaite, the defender has outlined his ambition to enhance his development while contributing to a bright future with Everton, who will soon embark on a fresh chapter at the newly-built Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everton’s “ambition was a huge thing” behind Branthwaite’s decision to stay

“I’ve been at Everton for five-and-a-half years now and I've seen the change the club's had over the past six months,” Branthwaite explained. “It's very exciting for us as a team, as players, to have that going on in the background and obviously to be starting the new season at the new stadium.

“The ambition was a huge thing. The way the manager (David Moyes) wants us to go as a team and what he wants us to do for next season and where he wants us to challenge for has had a big impact on the decision. I think you saw towards the end of last season as a team what we can do.

“The manager has been really good, not only for me but for the group. You saw the change in results, the change in mood since he came in. He drives the demands every day to be better.”

Reacting to Branthwaite’s new contract, Moyes added: “We're delighted Jarrad has committed his future to us. He is still only 23 and his best years are hopefully still ahead of him.

“We believe he can have a huge role to play in an exciting new era at the football club.”

Branthwaite is keen to help Everton build on their 13th-placed finish in the Premier League last season, as Moyes and co bid to climb back into the top half of the table for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign.

The defender’s decision to stay at Everton comes after nine players officially departed the club upon the expiration of their contracts on June 30, including Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gueye.

Written by
Oliver Thomas