Journalist Ben Jacobs has told GiveMeSport that reports of Liverpool’s interest in Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite are premature.

The Reds have been linked with a move for Everton centre-back recently amid concerns over the future of defender Virgil Van Dijk.

The Dutch centre-back has entered the final year of his contract at the club and with no guarantee over his long term future at Anfield, Arne Slot’s team have been linked with a move for the England international.

Branthwaite has attracted interest from Manchester United as well, with the Red Devils seeing two of their bids get rejected for him in the summer transfer window.

Everton stopped the defender from leaving the club this summer after Man United failed to match their asking price.

Suggestions have been made about Liverpool targeting a controversial move for the Everton defender but Jacobs has cooled down any such reports, saying that Liverpool are yet to make an approach for the player.

He told GiveMeSport:

“Suggestions that Liverpool will be the club in 2025 to enter the race, rather than Manchester United returning, are premature, according to my understanding at the moment. Liverpool haven’t made any kind of meaningful approach yet to Everton for Branthwaite.

“If you look at how Liverpool do business, how they come to a valuation – and how they often walk away when there is no value to be had – Branthwaite, on paper, doesn’t feel like a very Liverpool deal. They would have to significantly overpay on his market valuation.”

Liverpool have made sure they tie down Jarrel Quansah to a new contract at the club while Ibrahima Konate’s long term future at Anfield could be sorted soon as well.

The Reds want to avoid a situation like they have faced with Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

More than the arrival of new players at the club, the Premier League giants are concerned about keeping their star players at the club and they are determined to do whatever it takes to keep them at Anfield and continue their promising project under Slot.

Can Liverpool sign Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite?

Following the departure of Joel Matip in the summer, the Reds were hoping to sign a new defender but they only managed to sign Federico Chiesa from Juventus.

He was their only arrival at the club in the summer, even though they signed Giorgi Mamardashvili as well but he will join them next year.

As far as the future of Branthwaite at Everton is concerned, he still has three years left on his current deal and the Toffees are in a strong position to either keep the player or demand a high transfer fee for him.

Liverpool would find it difficult to sign the player from their direct rivals but considering Everton’s poor financial condition, a transfer cannot be ruled out.