Cork City Strikes Gold: €300k Payday Jake O’Brien’s Everton switch!

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ByDrkeem
July 28, 2024

Cork City are set to net a figure in the region of €300,000 when Jake O’Brien completes his life changing move from Lyon to Everton.

And his former schoolboy clubs Youghal and Lakewood Celtic are also in line to benefit from the switch.

The Irish international is on the verge of finalising a switch to the Premier League for what is believed to be an initial €16m although add-ons will bring the deal over the €20m mark.

Under FIFA solidarity payment rules, 5pc of any transfer fee is divided between the clubs where the player in question played his football between the ages of 12 and 23.

While it is weighted towards the older years in that age range, Cork City are still in a reasonable position as O’Brien spent three years with the Leesiders after initially playing for their U-17 team in 2018 – he was with Youghal in his formative days before moving to Lakewood at 13 which is why both of those clubs should benefit.

He joined Crystal Palace in 2021, a loan deal that was eventually made permanent, and the agreement with the Londoners granted City the solidarity monies for that loan period. Therefore, the bottom line for the Leesiders should be in or around €300,000 based on the calculations.

They earned €150,000 when O’Brien moved from Palace to Lyon for €1m last summer, with City holding a 15pc sell on clause on his first move.

There was some disappointment at that juncture with the feeling being that the relationship between Palace and Lyon contributed to a reduced fee; American John Textor was the majority owner of both clubs.

O’Brien’s reputation had soared during a loan stint at Molenbeek, another club in Textor’s network. Prior to that, the late developing League of Ireland graduate, who gained first team experience at City during the pandemic, was loaned out from Palace to Swindon, where he played 19 games on loan.

A roundabout route has brought him to the Premier League top table, even though question marks still hang over Everton’s boardroom situation following a year where two proposed takeovers have fallen through.

Ironically enough, Textor was interested in stepping in at Everton as he looked to sell his share in Palace but he is now reported to be looking elsewhere.

However, Everton have still been able to push on with a deal for O’Brien, a player that has been on their radar since the January window.

He had attracted interest from the Bundesliga and from Ajax, in addition to several other English clubs, but Everton were never out of the equation and view the strapping 6ft 6inch defender as a proper option to strengthen their rearguard – especially with speculation around the future of Manchester United target Jarrad Branthwaite.

The 23-year-old is in the process of agreeing terms on a long term deal that will see him join Irish skipper Seamus Coleman in the Everton dressing room. O’Brien made his Ireland debut in the June friendly with Hungary. His former clubs will remain invested in his progress; the 5pc rule also applies to any future deals.