Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite was linked with a surprise move to Liverpool over the weekend and it was all based on some drastically shortened betting odds.

Everton is said to be "in the dark" over rumors that Liverpool is planning a controversial transfer swoop for star defender Jarrad Branthwaite. Despite bookmakers slashing odds on Branthwaite making a move to Anfield, insiders have played down such a move.

The ECHO reports that there has been no communication between Liverpool and Everton regarding Branthwaite. On Sunday, fans noticed that Sky Bet had surprisingly cut the odds on Branthwaite leaving Goodison Park before the end of the transfer window. He's currently priced at 5/4 to make a surprise summer move to city rivals Liverpool.

United are listed at 3/1 to sign the defender, while Manchester City (4/1) and Real Madrid (12/1) are other potential destinations that Sky have priced up for the England international. However, there haven't been any credible reports linking Branthwaite with a move to Anfield. Betting odds are often shortened when a high volume of bets are placed to make the market less profitable.

Earlier this summer, Everton turned down two offers from United for Branthwaite: an initial bid of $45m (£35m/€41m) plus add-ons in June, followed by a second offer of $58m (£45m/€53m) plus add-ons in July. Instead, the Red Devils opted to sign other center-back targets, securing Leny Yoro from Lille in a deal worth up to $76m (£59m/€69m), and Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich for $49m (£38m/€45m).

Considering the hefty fees paid by Manchester United for Harry Maguire ($104m/£80m/€94m in 2019), Chelsea for Wesley Fofana ($91m/£70m/€82m in 2022), and Manchester City for Josko Gvardiol ($100m/£77m/€90m in 2023), Everton believes Branthwaite is in the same league. This is particularly true given the premium attached to left-footed defenders and homegrown talent.

Everton has made it clear that they won't be pushed into selling their England international for a low price, despite rumors of a "fire sale" at Goodison Park this summer. It has been actively planning for him to stay on for the season unless an irresistible offer comes in.

The idea of rejecting two offers from Manchester United only to sell to their local rivals wouldn't sit well with Everton's management in the final weeks of the transfer window. No player has directly moved between the two clubs since Abel Xavier's switch from Everton to Liverpool on 30 January 2002 a good six months before the 22-year-old Branthwaite was even born.

Liverpool.com says: Branthwaite would be an excellent addition for Liverpool and he would tick a lot of boxes. Trying to get a deal over the line, though, would be near impossible. Everton would rather sell to anyone else than its cross-city rival.

The odds of Jarrad Branthwaite leaving Everton for Liverpool tumbled over the weekend and former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has shown himself to be a fan of the defender

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been clear in his praise of Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, whose odds to join the Reds shortened over the weekend.

Everton remain hopeful of hanging on to defender Branthwaite this summer, though manager Sean Dyche has made reference to an "outside picture" which may complicate things. Questions remain over a potential takeover for the Merseyside club, without which they may be forced to make some sales.

While sanctioning the sale of a star player to their fierce rivals would be bottom of Everton's list, odds of a move fell dramatically over the weekend. One bookmaker, bet365, saw the England international fall from 8/1 to 4/5 to make a move to the red side of the city.

Former Carlisle star Branthwaite enjoyed a breakout season at Goodison Park last term after a successful loan spell at PSV Eindhoven. His performances caught the eye of ex-England boss Gareth Southgate, who handed him a senior debut, while Klopp was another visibly impressed.

"[Everton's] last line [is] super-experienced, and with Branthwaite now a really good left-footed centre-half," Klopp said in October 2023 ahead of the first Merseyside Derby of the season. Two late Mohamed Salah goals gave Liverpool the win that day, but Branthwaite starred when Dyche's team won the reverse fixture in April.

Klopp also cited the centre-back when explaining why he was reluctant to use young striker Jayden Danns at Goodison Park. "[That wasn't] a game for an 18-year-old boy, and Tarkowski and Branthwaite kill you in these situations and it doesn’t help,” he said.

Branthwaite's form last season brought interest from Manchester United, who saw a bid rejected before turning their attention to Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt. He wasn't part of Everton's line-up for the opening game of the season, with Michael Keane partnering James Tarkowski in a 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton.

Unlike their neighbours, Liverpool began the season with a win and a clean sheet. There are still questions at the back for new manager Arne Slot, though, with Virgil van Dijk's contract situation still unresolved and Jarell Quansah substituted after a challenging first half against Ipswich.

"The first thing I said was we don't have to speak about tactics if you lose so many duels, and that's what we did," Slot told TNT Sports after the 2-0 win. He confirmed Quansah's withdrawal at the break was a tactical move, with Ibrahima Konate taking the youngster's place.

"It's not that Jarell lost every duel, many of us lost too many duels, so we needed Konate to win these long balls in the air towards their No.9 (Liam Delap), so that helped and gave us control," he continued. "But they put so, so much energy into the first half, running, fighting, playing all over the pitch one v one, and I don't think they could keep up with that tempo in the second half."

Sky Bet has slashed its odds on Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite joining Liverpool before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. The Blues have rejected two bids from Manchester United for the defender already this summer.

Branthwaite was one of the shining lights of a torrid 2023/24 season at Goodison Park as he returned from a loan spell at Dutch side PSV Eindhoven to start 35 of a possible 38 games in the Premier League last season.

Despite this, Branthwaite remained in the headlines over the summer as United attempted to sign him, but their offers fell short of Everton's valuation. Now, Sky Bet has cut the odds on Branthwaite leaving Goodison Park this summer.

He is currently priced at 2/1 to make a surprise move to Liverpool, while United are 3/1 to sign him. Manchester City (4/1) and Real Madrid (12/1) are also listed as potential destinations for the England international.

While there are no credible reports currently linking Branthwaite, signed to Everton until 2027, to Liverpool, uninterrupted speculation has led to shifting betting odds, which often occur due to large amounts of placed bets, making the market less lucrative.

Everton manager Sean Dyche has previously spoken of his hope that his club will be able to keep hold of the Carlisle United man this summer. He said: "I’m confident that the club are going to do the best they can to make sure we’re competitive but equally the club’s got an outside picture which is quite obvious and that’s not something that I can control.

"They do need to balance the finances better, we’ve done a lot of work with that since I’ve been here, and Kev [Thelwell] obviously is included in that, on the playing side to bring money in and lower the wage bill.

"We’ve done a pretty fair job I would say of that but the bigger picture of the club is dependent on what money is needed at any given time."