Next John Terry? 'Special' Jarrad Branthwaite tipped for Chelsea transfer

Pundit Nevin has tipped Chelsea to make a move for Everton defender Branthwaite, comparing him to Stamford Bridge legend Terry. The Toffees centre-back has attracted a number of interested parties since breaking into the team, though the Merseyside club are said to have put an enormous price tag on his head to ward off potential suitors.

Chelsea are expected to invest heavily in their squad again this summer as Enzo Maresca looks to build on their finish of fourth in the Premier League alongside their triumph in the Conference League. They already have a number of centre-back options, including Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile, new signing Mamadou Sarr and the injured Wesley Fofana.

Speaking to Spin Genie, who offer the latest jackpot slots, Nevin said: "I've said before that centre-backs don't come into their own until they turn 24, 25 or 26. Levi Colwill is 22 and has everything you want in a defender. Chelsea must stick with him in their current model.

"Someone like Marc Guehi is coming into his prime at 24. Would I like to see him partnered with Colwill? Oh yes, definitely. I would love to see that. I've been saying for quite a while that Dean Huijsen is one of the best defenders in the world and, if I were Chelsea, he would have been the one I would have gone for. I thought he could replace Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool, so I was surprised to see him end up at Real Madrid.

"The other defender Chelsea need to consider signing, and I don't want it to happen, is Jarrad Branthwaite. He's young, but acts way beyond his years, and is growing into something special. Out of all the current defenders out there at the moment, I think he's the closest there is to John Terry when it comes to leadership and his style of play. My Evertonian hat hopes it will not happen though."

Branthwaite signed for Everton from Carlisle in 2020 and spent time on loan with Blackburn and PSV Eindhoven before breaking into the Toffees lineup. He made his England debut last year as a substitute during a 3-0 friendly victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Chelsea will keep evaluating transfer targets, but for now Maresca's focus is on the Club World Cup. The Blues play their second group game against Brazilian side Flamengo on Friday.