"If I were Liverpool, I would buy him as a successor to Van Dijk" - Journalist makes huge transfer claim on Premier League defender
Voetbal International journalist Süleyman Öztürk has urged Liverpool to make a move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. The reporter hailed the Englishman as the revelation of the season and insisted that he would be a natural replacement for Virgil van Dijk in the Reds' defense.
Branthwaite has been excellent for Everton this season as the Toffees have done exceptionally well to steer clear of relegation zone despite being handed a 10-point deduction. He has forged a strong partnership with James Tarkowski at the back, which has been pivotal in Sean Dyche's side's strong run of late.
Süleyman Öztürk has claimed that Branthwaite developed hugely as a player from his loan spell with PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie last campaign. He also likened the England U21 international to Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk, who is one of the best defenders in the world. He said, as quoted by Sport Witness:
"I think the period in the Netherlands, in the Eredivisie, has been good for him. You mention that footballing ability that was also noticeable at PSV, but I also feel his positioning is unbelievable. In the duels with the Chelsea striker Broja I thought he was very strong. Micah Richards pointed him out on Match of the Day, and it was interesting because they picked out exactly the moments that I found interesting, the ones where he doesn’t bite but remains central, just like Van Dijk in his peak."
Öztürk heaped praise on the Everton centre-back for his all-round abilities and hailed his leadership skills. He also claimed that Branthwaite would be a natural successor of Virgil van Dijk in the Liverpool defense. He added:
"He’s only 21 years old and in Sean Dyche has a trainer who is focused on defending and organising. He’s developed a few defenders. If I were Liverpool, I would buy him as a successor to Van Dijk. I really think he is the revelation of this season at Everton in the Premier League. He’s already leader in a defence at a club in big trouble. The fact that at 21 you play in the starting line up in a Sean Dyche team is not easy.”
Branthwaite is still only 21 years old and has plenty of room for growth. However, Everton would definitely be reluctant to sell the young defender to local rivals Liverpool.
Virgil van Dijk is 32 now but looks back to his best this season after a blip in his game following a devastating ACL injury. Liverpool could, however, do with defensive additions after Joel Matip suffered an ACL injury and was sidelined for the rest of the season.
Pundit singles out Liverpool superstar for high praise
Pundit Leroy Rosenior has lavished praise on Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah after the Egyptian superstar scored the 200th goal of his Reds career. The former Chelsea winger now has scored 200 goals and provided 87 assists in 327 games for Liverpool since his switch from AS Roma in the summer of 2017.
Liverpool signed Salah for a reported initial fee of just £36.5 million that could rise to £43 million with addons. He has turned out to be one of the biggest bargains in the history of the game.
Rosenior said on Premier League Productions (via TBR) that Salah has cemented his status as a Premier League legend, proving his doubters wrong. He said:
“He didn’t have a good time at Chelsea, when he first went there people thought what’s going on here, he was underestimated in so many ways, but he proved them wrong and people have been wondering when he’s going to move on, but he’s stayed there, and he’s achieved legendary status now. No matter what happens, he’s an absolute legend."
Salah has been on fire for Jurgen Klopp's side this season, having already found the back of the net on 14 occasions in 22 games across competitions while also providing seven assists.