Roma enter race for Everton loanee targeted by Liverpool, Man Utd; described as the ‘complete defender’ | OneFootball

Roma have reportedly entered the race for in-demand Everton loanee Jarrad Branthwaite, after the defender has impressed at PSV Eindhoven this season.

Manchester United and Liverpool are also said to be interested in signing the centre-back, but it remains to be seen whether the Toffees will allow him to leave.

However, given Everton’s current position in the Premier League table and their financial situation, they may be forced to let him go.

This is according to the Liverpool Echo, who report that Roma are interested in signing Branthwaite after sending scouts to watch the Englishman.

Branththwaite’s recent performances in the Eredivise has attracted interest from a number of top European clubs, so there may well be a bidding war for his services in the summer.

PSV manager Ruud van Nistelrooy is a big admirer of the player, calling him the ‘complete defender’ after he scored two goals in a victory over FC Emmen.

He said: “He is a great talent. The boy is 20, but he has a future.”

“He is good on the ball, can play on the left or the right of centre-back because he is two-footed. He has height and speed, so he is very complete.”

As reported by TEAMtalk, Manchester United and Liverpool have also sent scouts to watch Branthwaite.

PSV also allegedly saw a £15m bid for the defender turned down in January, so any successful bid would likely have to be in excess of thaat amount.

So far this season, the 20-year-old has featured 21 times for PSV, helping his side to five clean sheets in the process, as well as scoring four goals.

Despite the interest, the question is whether or not Everton would allow Branthwaite to leave.

They currently have several centre-backs at their disposal, such as Conor Coady, James Tarkowski, Yerry Mina, Ben Godfrey, Mason Holgate and Michael Keane.

However, with Holgate and Keane both previously being linked with departures, Branthwaite could possibly have a key role to play under Sean Dyche next season.

Saying that, if the unthinkable happens and the Toffees are relegated to the Championship, they may be forced to sell some of their prized assets and Branthwaite certainly fits into that category.

The youngster certainly looks to have a bright future ahead of him, so he could prove to be a valuable addition for United or Liverpool.

For Liverpool, Branthwaite could prove to be a top signing given that their issues in defence have been exposed this season after injuries to the likes of Ibrahima Konate and Virgil Van Dijk.

Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have also struggled for consistent form, so signing the Englishman could make sense.

If the deal did go through, Branthwaite would be the first Everton player to join Liverpool since Abel Xavier in 2002.

United, on the other hand, could reportedly lose Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof this summer, so the youngster could come in and provide cover for Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.

However, Roma’s reported interest could scupper their plans, so it will be interesting to see if they make an official bid for the defender in the coming months.