Everton Agree Deal in Principle for Lyon Star Jake O’Brien

Everton have agreed a deal in principle with Lyon to sign centre-back Jake O’Brien, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Toffees have been linked with a new defender all summer, with uncertainty surrounding the future of star man Jarrad Branthwaite amid interest from Manchester United.

But the Blues have now covered themselves in the centre-back department by agreeing a deal with the Ligue 1 giants for a player who has been a target for much of the window.

Everton boss Sean Dyche shouting instructions from the touchline

O’Brien only moved to Ligue 1 in the summer of 2023 after leaving Crystal Palace for just £1million, but he impressed hugely last season and caught the attention of several Premier League clubs this summer.

Known for his “exceptional” aerial prowess and size, the Republic of Ireland international is expected to fit into the Sean Dyche way of playing perfectly and will compete for a starting spot 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

However a deal isn’t completely done yet despite an agreement with Lyon, with Fabrizio Romano reporting via X that there is no agreement on personal terms just yet for a move to Goodison Park. If the 23-year-old agrees terms, then he is expected to undergo a medical on Sunday (28 July) ahead of completing a transfer back to England.

O’Brien has agreed on a five-year deal to move to Merseyside, but a medical could potentially be pushed back to Monday (29 July) in order for paperwork to be completed first.

West Ham have also had an interest in O’Brien as they look to bolster their squad, but Everton have now seemingly won the race for his signature.

Part of the reason for a move for O’Brien is that Branthwaite’s future remains uncertain, with the Toffees rejecting two bids from Manchester United for his services earlier in the window.

After the takeover of the Friedkin Group collapsed, there is now fresh worry about the financial situation at Goodison Park and concerns that they could be forced to cash in on another prized asset after already selling Amadou Onana to Aston Villa for £50million.

However, the club are adamant that is not the case and as things stand they have no intention of lowering their £70million-plus valuation for the England international, and hope a potential takeover from Kevin Malone could help ease their problems.