According to Fabrizio Romano, Everton have reached a tentative agreement with Lyon to sign center-back Jake O’Brien.
Throughout the summer, Everton has been searching for a new defender due to the uncertain future of their key player, Jarrad Branthwaite, who is being pursued by Manchester United.
However, the club has now secured their defense by striking a deal with the Ligue 1 team for O’Brien, a long-term target this transfer window.
Everton Agree Deal for Jake O’Brien
Medical booked one on condition
O’Brien only made the switch to Ligue 1 in the summer of 2023, having only left Crystal Palace for a meager £1 million. Despite this, he made a big impression the previous season and attracted the interest of multiple Premier League teams this summer.
The Republic of Ireland international, who is renowned for his “exceptional” aerial ability and size, is anticipated to mesh well with Sean Dyche’s style of play and will challenge for a starting position alongside Branthwaite and vice captain James Tarkowski.
| Jake O’Brien’s Ligue 1 statistics – Lyon squad ranking | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats | Output | Squad rank |
| Appearances | 27 | 7th |
| Goals | 4 | 2nd |
| Aerial Duels Won Per Game | 1.6 | =4th |
| Clearances Per Game | 3.6 | 2nd |
| Blocks Per Game | 0.7 | 2nd |
| Match rating | 6.59 | =13th |
Despite an agreement with Lyon, the transaction isn’t quite done yet, as Fabricio Romano of X reports that there isn’t yet a personal terms agreement for a move to Goodison Park. The 23-year-old is anticipated to go through a physical on Sunday, July 28, in order to finalize his transfer back to England, provided he accepts the terms.
O’Brien has agreed to a five-year contract to relocate to Merseyside; however, there is a chance that the physical will be postponed until Monday, July 29, in order to allow for the completion of necessary paperwork.
O’Brien has drawn interest from West Ham as well as other teams looking to enhance their roster, but it now appears that Everton has won the race to recruit him.
After further negotiations, Everton intends to submit a fresh bid for Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto this week, as reported by Caught Offside.
Jarrad Branthwaite Future Still Uncertain
Manchester United have had two bids rejected
O’Brien’s transfer is partially motivated by the uncertainty surrounding Branthwaite’s future—the Toffees turned down two offers from Manchester United for him earlier in the transfer season.
Fresh worries regarding Goodison Park’s financial status and the possibility that they would have to cash in on another valuable asset—after having already sold Amadou Onana to Aston Villa for £50 million—have arisen since the Friedkin Group’s takeover failed.
The team, however, is sure that this is untrue and, at this time, they have no plans to reduce their asking price of more than £70 million for the England international. They also harbour hopes that a takeover by Kevin Malone could provide some relief from their current predicament.
With Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young signing one-year contracts in the summer and O’Brien joining the team to replace Ben Godfrey, who signed with Atalanta earlier in the window, Dyche’s defense is also strong.
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