Everton add O'Brien as latest summer signing

Jake O'Brien has become Everton's latest close season signing in a £17m deal from Olympique Lyonnais.

The 23-year-old defender has signed a four-year contract with a reported club option for a fifth as he follows Tim Iroegbunam, Jack Harrison, Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrøm through the door this summer.

O'Brien had been linked with the Blues for much of the summer as speculation swirled around the future of Jarrad Branthwaite but Director of Football, Kevin Thelwell, has pushed through with the transfer of the Irishman even though the young England star looks likely to remain at Goodison Park.

O'Brien will have a job to break up the solid partnership established by Branthwaite and James Tarkowksi, something that was regarded as a potential impediment to any move for him given that he was a regular starter for Lyon.

However, Everton skipper Seamus Coleman is said to have played a big role in selling the Club to his compatriot as they beat off competition from the likes of Wolves, Brentford and Ajax to land the 6'-6" player. 

“I’m buzzing and so happy to have signed for Everton,” O’Brien said after joining the Toffees. “I've been dreaming of this kind of move in the Premier League, with such a historic club. It's a very exciting move for me.

“Everton is a huge club with a lot of history behind it and there's a big future as well. When the transfer window opened, there were other clubs in for me but there was only one club I wanted to go to – it was Everton.

“They’ve shown the faith in me so now it's my turn to show why on the pitch.

“Seamus has been on to me to sign for Everton! He’s a top guy, a brilliant captain, and to play under him here as well as with Ireland will be a privilege.

“He’s the best captain I've ever played under. He's massively respected – not just here but in the football world in general.

“I've met all of the lads in the squad and you can sense straight away that it's a tight-knit group. Obviously, having Seamus here will help me as well.”

Described by former Swindon Town manager Ben Garner as "brave as a lion", O'Brien began his career at Cork City in his native Ireland before being picked up by Crystal Palace after impressing on what was initially a loan move to the Eagles' development team.

He had additional loan spells at Swindon and Molenbeek in Belgium before signing for Lyon for just €1m last year where he has excelled and become a target for a handful of Premier League clubs, including Brentford, Wolves and Everton while Ajax Amsterdam had been heavily linked this month.

Last season, O'Brien helped the Ligue 1 side propel themselves from relegation danger and up to a 6th-place finish, emerging as the team's second-top scorer in the process.

 

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