Jake O’Brien Undergoing Everton Medical Ahead of £17m Move

Everton are closing in on the signing of Lyon defender Jake O’Brien for a fee of £17m, and Sky Sports News have now confirmed that he is currently undergoing a medical.

After losing Ben Godfrey earlier in the summer transfer window as he completed a move to Atalanta, the Toffees have focused on bringing in an additional centre-back. There has been plenty of speculation surrounding the future of young defender Jarrad Branthwaite, and Everton are now close to bringing in additional cover.

O’Brien enjoyed an impressive season with Ligue 1 outfit Lyon after moving from Crystal Palace, but he could now be heading back to the Premier League.

O’Brien Undergoing Everton Medical

Reporting live on air, Sky Sports have confirmed that O’Brien is currently undergoing a medical at Everton ahead of a £17m move from French giants Lyon…

“We’re going to kick off actually with some breaking news, and Lyon defender Jake O’Brien is currently undergoing a medical at Everton. The 24-year-old will sign for the club for a fee of £17m.”

The towering defender might find it difficult to break up the James Tarkowski and Branthwaite defensive partnership in the immediate future, but he could be eyed as a long-term replacement for either defender. Tarkowski is reaching the latter stages of his career while Branthwaite is attracting strong interest from Manchester United.

O’Brien stands at 1.97m, so it’s easy to see why Sean Dyche would be a fan of the Republic of Ireland international. With the former Burnley manager heavily focusing on physical profiles within his squad, O’Brien will only add to an already aerially dominant side.