Everton in hunt to sign defensive powerhouse who John Textor signed last year - report

Everton are keeping tabs on the progress of 6ft6 defender Jake O’Brien and remain interested in signing him this summer, according to the Irish Independent.

The outlet reported on its website on Friday (7 June) that the Toffees hold an interest in the Lyon defender alongside Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund who are considering a summer transfer push.

Lyon rebuffed interest in the 23-year-old Irish international during the January window. O’Brien’s strong performances have attracted the attention of clubs across Europe including Serie A giants AC Milan among others.

Interestingly, Lyon are owned by John Textor, the Crystal Palace shareholder who signed O’Brien from Selhurst Park last year and has shown an interest in a takeover of the Blues. However, Goodison News has been informed that the American is not a front-runner to complete a deal.

Can Everton sign players in the transfer window amid takeover drama at Goodison Park?

Everton’s current financial situation means that they won’t necessarily have loads of money to spend during the summer transfer window, but that doesn’t mean they won’t make additions to their squad this summer.

Sean Dyche’s defence was one of the stronger areas of his side last season, with both James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite impressing week in and week out, but their displays have attracted attention from other clubs.

As speculation continues around Branthwaite’s future in particular, there is a feeling around Goodison Park that the England international could well depart before the start of next season if the Blues receive the right offer.

Should the 21-year-old leave this summer he will need replacing and O’Brien could be the perfect player to fill that void. The only question will be whether or not the Toffees can win the race for his signature.

Hopefully, they can find some money to spend to beat the likes of Dortmund and Milan to his services because the attraction of playing in the Premier League may be enough to convince him to move to Merseyside.

In other Everton news, 777 Partners believe that they remain in the running to complete a takeover from Farhad Moshiri at Goodison Park

For more Everton news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.

The post Everton in hunt to sign defensive powerhouse who John Textor signed last year - report appeared first on Goodison News.