Everton have seen off competition from Premier League rivals to sign Lyon defender Jake O’Brien from the Ligue 1 outfit.
The Merseysiders are reportedly set to pay between €24 million and €25 million for the player. Two other Premier League rivals, Wolves and Brentford are said to have indicated interest in Jake O’Brien following the latter’s impressive Ligue 1 campaign with Lyon last season.
According to Caught Offside, Everton’s deal with Lyon has seen the French club bag a whooping €23m as profit, having signed Jake O’Brien from Premier League club, Crystal Palace, for €1m in 2022.
Also, as part of the deal, Lyon are reportedly entitled to a 10% sell-on clause if Everton part ways with Jake O’Brien in the future. He has reportedly signed a four-year contract with the Toffees and is expected to play a crucial role in the club’s 2024-25 football season.
Jake O’Brien’s signing has stoked conversations on the future of Jarrad Branthwaite in Everton’s squad. Branthwaite has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United with some reports claiming he has agreed to personal terms with the Old Trafford outfit.
Two bids from Manchester United have been rejected for the 22-year-old. With the signing of Jake O’Brien, there are suggestions the club could relinquish their stranglehold on the England defender amidst United’s interest.
Who is Everton’s new signing Jake O’Brien?
Jake O’Brien, born on May 15, 2001, is a professional Irish footballer, who played as a defender for Ligue 1 club, Lyon, and is now set for a new chapter with Everton in the Premier League. O’Brien is a center-back and has featured for the Republic of Ireland senior national team.
Jake O’Brien career
O’Brien began his career in Cork City, his place of birth in the Republic of Ireland. He was drafted into the Cork City Football Academy in 2018. He spent a year at the Academy, nursing his career before joining the club’s first team the next year in 2021. It was a screeching career start for the 23-year-old at Cork City. He struggled for game time, managing just 9 league appearances for the club in his two seasons.
In 2021, he moved to the Premier League, signing for Crystal Palace on loan before securing a permanent deal. However, his career misfortunes were far from over. It only got worse at Selhurst Park. He failed to make a single league appearance for the Eagles and was loaned to Swindon Town in 2022.
At Swindon Town, O’Brien made 19 league appearances for the club but it was not enough to earn him his league debut for Crystal Palace. After the expiration of the Swindon Town loan spell, he was loaned out again to Belgian club Racing White Daring Molenbeek
At Molenbeek, O’Brien breathed life back to his career, making 30 league appearances, and scoring thrice – his first senior club career goals.
Following his impressive outing in the Belgian league, he attracted interest from Lyon and was sold by Crystal Palace permanently for €1m.
At Lyon, O’Brien turned a corner from his grim deadlock at Selhurst Park to become one of the club’s top players. He made 27 Ligue 1 appearances in his debut campaign with the club, scoring four goals.
O’Brien Career stats
Jake O’Brien made 13 appearances in all competitions for Cork City, and 31 and 21 appearances for Swindon Town and Racing White Daring Molenbeek, respectively.
At Lyon, his total appearance tally stands at 32 with 5 goals. Overall, he has made 98 club career appearances, scoring eight goals. He made his debut with the Republic of Ireland senior national team in 2024 and has won 2 caps.
Jake O’Brien Everton contract details
O’Brien has reportedly penned down a four-year contract with Everton till 2028 in a deal worth €24-24m. Everton’s new salary offer for the player has yet to be disclosed. His move marks his second return to the Premier League, a year after leaving Crystal Palace as a struggling footballer.
