Everton have come on leaps and bounds since David Moyes replaced Sean Dyche in the dugout.
The Premier League’s the place for Bramley Moore next season, with Moyes strengthening the tenuous grip his predecessor’s demise had left at Everton.
So many players have found a new lease of life with the Scotsman at the helm, nearly 12 years after parting with his Goodison Park dynasty to take a role as Sir Alex Ferguson’s heir at Manchester United.
However, some have showcased their lofty talent from the get-go. Jarrad Branthwaite’s one of them.
That’s not actually true. Branthwaite was absent across Everton’s opening five top-flight fixtures of the term. It’s no surprise his unavailability covered the wretched four-game losing run that perhaps condemned Dyche from the term’s offing.
Everton have only fallen to four defeats across the 20 matches the Englishman has started in 2024/25, so strong and sturdy, such an “immense” centre-back, in the words of The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland.
Unfortunately, this Englishman was snubbed by Thomas Tuchel as the former Chelsea manager named his first Three Lions squad.
Toffees from all around have been left questioning why.
Jarrad Branthwaite's England exclusion
It was a star-studded list of miss-outs. Tuchel could only pick so many, and England do have an overload of quality. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more compelling case for inclusion than Branthwaite’s.
Harry Maguire was unfortunate not to be on the list due to injury, for he is a seasoned international and the world’s record defender besides. However, he’s ebbed away from his best football this season. Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah has been a bit-part player under Arne Slot.
Branthwaite, however, has indeed been one of the division’s standout centre-backs for the second season running, perhaps not showcasing the silky passing range that other top defenders boast, but Everton’s counter-attacking style highlights how such skills are placed on the shelf for those in the 22-year-old’s position.
Matches (starts)
22 (20)
Goals
0
Assists
1
Clean sheets
7
Touches*
50.5
Pass completion
82%
Ball recoveries*
3.1
Tackles + interceptions*
2.4
Clearances*
6.3
Duels won*
3.5 (63%)
His time will come. Sir Gareth Southgate had already named Branthwaite in his senior squad one year ago and Manchester United’s vested interest last summer makes for further evidence he is destined for regular inclusion in the Three Lions set-up.
Everton even rejected United’s offers last year by responding with demands of a £75m payment. This saw the saga fizzle out, sure, but given the towering talent was signed from League Two side Carlisle United for just £1m back in January 2020, this is quite the rise.
It’s one of the best signings the club have made in an age. Here’s to more in the future now Moyes is pulling the strings. Everton’s transfer dealings have left plenty to be desired in recent years, but there’s little question that one of the finest in many, many years was made last summer.
Everton's best signing since Branthwaite
Plenty of work needs to be done in the transfer market this summer, but Moyes has already breathed life back into this team and with players such as Branthwaite in the mix, there’s every chance the Merseysiders will continue to go from strength to strength.
However, Branthwaite’s not the only one, with Iliman Ndiaye also thriving throughout the entirety of the campaign. His brilliance predates Moyes’ arrival, and he might just mark the best bit of business Everton have completed in a long while.
Under Farhad Moshiri, with Dyche at the helm, Everton signed Ndiaye from Marseille for a £15m fee last July, expecting to land a talented ball carrier who would add a bit of impetus to the attacking roster.
But he’s gone above and beyond, driving forward with menace, yes, but also demonstrating remarkable technical skill and crispness with the ball. Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp has hailed his “dynamite” quality.
With eight goals from 28 matches in all competitions (six in the Premier League) Ndiaye is Everton’s top scorer this season. He’s also bagged three in five under Moyes’ wing, the last of those matches lasting less than half an hour as he was cruelly injured in last month’s Merseyside derby.
As per FBref, he actually ranks among the top 16% of Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers for pass completion, the top 7% for successful take-ons, the top 1% for ball recoveries and the top 14% for tackles + interceptions per 90.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
This is a player. Everything suggests Ndiaye has what it takes to become a superstar for Everton as they move to Bramley Moore,
The signing fee was considered shrewd at the time, but in a year or two (if not already), Everton fans could look back at the deal as nothing short of a bona fide success.
Analyst Ben Mattinson has remarked that he’s an utterly “relentless forward” who could earn his keep as a “regular squad player in every Prem team.” He probably has a point.
Both Branthwaite and Ndiaye have enough quality and confidence to play instrumental parts in Everton’s journey over the coming years, however high they may reach.
Ndiaye’s injury absence has come at a frustrating time, sitting sidelined as Moyes’ project takes off.
However, he scored in all three of the Scotsman’s opening victories and is sure to be among the standouts next season, right beside Branthwaite.
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