Sean Dyche’s Everton are reportedly very close to securing the services of Lyon defensive sensation Jake O’Brien.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Everton have agreed a deal in principle with Lyon for the services of Jake O’Brien. The Merseyside club were in desperate need of some defensive reinforcement before the start of the 2024/25 season, and they are on the verge of signing the Irish defensive sensation.
O’Brien was a part of the Crystal Palace youth ranks before joining the French club last summer. The Irish centre-back had an impressive debut campaign at Lyon as he was involved in 32 matches and even contributed towards seven goals (5 goals, 2 assists).
His impressive performances did not go unnoticed as multiple been monitoring him. Everton are one of the clubs that have a long-standing interest in the Irish youngster. They were linked with him back in January as well and this time around, the Toffees seem to have won the race for his services.
The Merseyside club did not have the best of seasons last time out. They were handed a points deduction because of a financial fair play breach. But somehow, Everton managed to survive the drop. Sean Dyche is now looking to make the necessary changes to help them bounce back.
Jake O’Brien to join Everton
They want to add more depth as well as quality to their backline ahead of next season. With only four out-and-out centre-backs, they do not seem to have enough cover. While Everton are working on a new deal to extend Jarrad Branthwaite’s stay at the club, he might not be around for long. As a result, pushing for a new centre-back is quite understandable.
Everton have made significant progress in talks with the Ligue 1 club in recent weeks. They already have an agreement in principle with the club for the transfer of the 23-year-old. The Merseyside club will pay €20 million upfront and have promised a 10% sell-on clause to Lyon.
While they were still in talks with the player regarding personal terms, the Toffees have successfully negotiated a five-year deal with the Irish international. He is all set to undergo medical as a new Everton player on Monday. If everything goes according to plan, there should be an official announcement within the coming days.
