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.