Carlo Ancelotti handed Jarrad Branthwaite his debut for Everton and now the Real Madrid boss wants to reunite with the £75million-rated England defender in the Spanish capital.
Former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti wants to reunite with Jarrad Branthwaite by bringing him to Real Madrid.
Branthwaite, 22, heads up Real's shortlist for a new centre-back and Ancelotti is a big fan of him from their time together at Goodison Park. The left-footer, who made his senior England debut in June, is continuing his development under at Everton under David Moyes and was impressive during last week's dramatic 2-2 draw with local rivals Liverpool.
It was Ancelotti who handed Branthwaite his debut for Everton shortly after his 18th birthday in 2020, having joined from boyhood club Carlisle United - who Mirror Football understands have a sell-on clause - earlier that year. The legendary Italian has kept an eye on his progress ever since and wants Real to make a bid for him, just as Manchester United did twice over the summer.
The La Liga and Champions League holders are planning to freshen up their defensive unit, where they've been hit badly by injuries this season. Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba and Eder Militao have all had long spells on the sidelines, and two of them are over 30.
Ancelotti and Bernabeu chiefs have identified Branthwaite as a long-term solution, with two other Premier League stars on their shortlist. Real's list of targets also includes Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate - out of contract at Anfield in 2026 - and Bournemouth prospect Dean Huijsen, who has a £50million release clause.
Everton wanted in the region of £75m last summer, with United's two offers in pre-season falling short of their asking price. The Toffees could be open to selling the 22-year-old, despite their recent takeover by the Friedkin Group, ahead of moving into their new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock.
It's expected to be a busy summer on Merseyside because of the amount of players Everton have coming towards the end of their contracts. The club's new owners are aware of their recent financial struggles which saw Everton deducted points on two occasions last season for breaching the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Moyes won't want to lose any of his key players as he bids to tun Everton into a team which is capable of challenging for Europe. Branthwaite will have another opportunity to showcase his talents when Everton host Man United on Saturday.
He's loving life under Moyes, too, telling club media: "I think before he came in, we had that defensive resilience, the structure and I think he's maybe brought in the bit of attacking flair, attacking knowledge and structure Everyone knows the positions to be in and we're creating loads more chances. I think you can see that throughout the games that he's been in charge."