Everton are on the verge of making their fifth signing of the summer transfer window. The Toffees are negotiating a deal worth around £17 million to acquire Jake O’Brien from Lyon, following his impressive 2023-24 season.
The 23-year-old centre-back made 32 appearances for Lyon, scoring five goals and providing two assists. Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1, qualifying for the Europa League, and were narrowly defeated 2-1 by Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de France final.
Reports indicate that O’Brien is scheduled for a medical at Everton today, marking a potential return to the Premier League just a year after leaving Crystal Palace. O’Brien joined Palace from Cork City in February 2021, initially on loan before making the move permanent.
However, he struggled to secure first-team opportunities at Selhurst Park and had loan spells at Swindon Town in League Two and RWD Molenbeek in the Belgian second tier.
Palace felt O’Brien was not yet ready for the Premier League, although John Textor, part-owner of Palace and majority owner of Lyon through Eagle Football Holdings, saw his potential.
Textor, who earlier expressed interest in buying Everton before his bid with 777 Partners faltered, also owns Molenbeek. He had approved Lyon’s decision to sign O’Brien, which has proven beneficial for both the player and the club.
Textor acknowledged in March that O’Brien wasn’t ready for the Premier League but was well-suited for Ligue 1.
This experience led to interest from several top clubs. Textor said, “I work very closely with Dougie Freedman and Steve Parish, and I assess the situations.
O’Brien wasn’t ready for the Premier League then, but after his time in Ligue 1, we now have Premier League teams calling for him.”
West Ham, Wolves, and Dutch giants Ajax have all reportedly shown interest in O’Brien, but he is set to join Everton.
Sean Dyche’s side have already added Tim Iroegbunam, Iliman Ndiaye, Jack Harrison (on loan), and Jesper Lindstrom to their squad.
O’Brien’s arrival will strengthen their defense, especially after the sale of Ben Godfrey to Atalanta earlier in the window.
O’Brien will likely be positioned behind James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite in Everton’s centre-back hierarchy.
The Republic of Ireland international will need to be patient but has a promising future at Goodison Park.
