The blockbuster Man City and Everton player exchange transfer that could see both sides win big time

Manchester City have underperformed by their standards this season and will be hoping for much better in the next campaign. Pep Guardiola has the opportunity to freshen up his ranks with some new signings this summer. His side have seen Liverpool win the Premier League title recently after their four years of domination.

As for Everton, this is an exciting time to be associated with the Toffees. They are moving into their sparkling new stadium ahead of next term. David Moyes has managed to keep them up with relative ease in the end following his arrival this past winter to replace Sean Dyche.

Manchester City eye Jarrad Branthwaite transfer deal

Manchester City have been linked with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite this year. According to the Daily Mail, they are admirers of the centre-back along with rivals Manchester United and Liverpool. The Toffees could face a real battle to keep hold of the player down the line amid attention from elsewhere.

Branthwaite, 22, would be an ideal addition for City if they were able to lure him to the Etihad Stadium. He ticks all the boxes and landing him would be a big statement of intent as they look to compete for top spot again next year. The Cumbria-born man is young, has bags of potential and has already proved himself in the top flight.

He rose up through the academy at Carlisle United and was a regular for his local team at various different youth levels before breaking into their first-team in the Football League as a youngster. His emergence at Brunton Park alerted the attention of Everton and they swooped to sign him in 2020. He was then loaned out by the Merseyside outfit to Blackburn Rovers and PSV to get some experience under his belt.

Branthwaite, who has made one cap for England so far in his career, has since become a key player for Everton’s first-team. He has made 82 appearances for them in all competitions, 28 of which have come this term, and he has chipped in with four goals from the back. His contract expires in June 2027 meaning they are under no pressure to sell him just yet and they can wait for the right offer to come in for his signature before they consider cashing in on him.

There seems to be an air of inevitability that he will eventually move on from his current club. He will want to play Champions League football sooner rather than later and he has to test himself at the highest level possible. For the time being though, his focus will be on helping Moyes’ men end this campaign on a high note and they prepare to say goodbye to Goodison Park forever.

John Stones to Everton as part of Manchester City swap deal?

As per TBR Football, Everton are ‘open’ to re-signing John Stones from Manchester City. If that is true, they should try and tempt their rivals into giving them him as part of a swap deal plus cash for Branthwaite later this year. That would soften the blow significantly about losing one of their most prized assets.

Stones, 30, has been a great servant to City over the years but his long-term future is up in the air. That is because his contract expires in June 2026 and he is due to enter the final 12 months of his stay very soon. They risk losing him for free next year if they don’t cash in on him now or next January, assuming he doesn’t put pen-to-paper on an extension anytime soon.

The Yorkshireman is a player who Everton know well following his spell with them from 2013 to 2016. If Branthwaite left for a new challenge elsewhere, bringing Stones back would be a shrewd bit of business. He is experienced, would tighten up their back line and knows the club inside out already so it wouldn’t take him much to adapt.

Stones was snapped up as a youngster from Barnsley and went on to play 95 matches before City swooped in. He has since been a useful player for Guardiola to call on and has featured on 277 occasions, finding the net 19 times. If he did leave for a change of scene in the near future, a return to his former club would be eye-catching.

He has won everything now and will need to decide what he wants to do next over the coming years. He isn’t quite at veteran status just yet, despite it feeling like he has been around for ages. It remains to be seen whether he would want to stay in England or head abroad somewhere to try something different. If he did decide to stay, going back to Everton would be emotional for him, especially as they gear up for their new era.