Everton now want to sign Jake O’Brien – who Crystal Palace sold to Lyon back in August.
That is according to Foot Mercato.
So, what is the situation involving Jake O’Brien and Crystal Palace? Let’s take a look…
Everton want Jake O’Brien
Well, the Irishman arrived at Crystal Palace on a permanent deal from Cork City back in August 2021.
O’Brien impressed during loan spells at Swindon Town and RWD Molenbeek – leaving Crystal Palace with a decision to make back in the summer.
The Eagles already had Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi, Chris Richards and James Tomkins in the centre-back department, so competition was rife.
Therefore, Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman decided to sell O’Brien to John Textor’s Lyon for just €1m (£857,000).
The 22-year-old has impressed since breaking into the starting XI at Lyon, scoring three goals in seven Ligue 1 appearances to cement himself as the club’s top scorer, form which has now made Everton take notice.
Foot Mercato believe the Toffees are considering a swoop for O’Brien in January as Sean Dyche looks to take Everton back up the Premier League, following a ten-point deduction.
However, the French news outlet add that Lyon’s No.12 is happy in France, and the French giants themselves have no desire to sell.
Jake O’Brien could embarrass Crystal Palace
If O’Brien does make his way back to the Premier League and becomes a superstar, it would not look good on Crystal Palace.
£1m is nothing in modern day football, and some fans have quite rightly asked why O’Brien wasn’t kept as a long-term replacement for Tomkins.
In the end, a £4m outlay was spent on Rob Holding to perform that role.
It is certainly nice to see O’Brien shine in a major European league and he deserves a lot of credit for his progress, although from a fan’s point of view, we hope this deal doesn’t end up biting us on the backside.
