Everton want to sign in-demand defender as £17m development emerges - report

Lyon have slapped a £17million asking price on defender Jake O’Brien’s head amid interest from the Premier League, including Everton, according to The Athletic.

Writing on their website (2 July), the news outlet report that the French club have received a lot of interest in the Republic of Ireland international with Nottingham Forest and West Ham also among the parties who want to do a deal.

But with Crystal Palace holding a 25% sell-on clause after selling him last summer Lyon are asking for £17m to let him leave, with the Toffees eyeing him as a potential replacement for Jarrad Branthwaite [Mirror, 23 June].

Everton must strengthen central defence this summer

With Ben Godfrey leaving permanently to join Atalanta, Branthwaite wanted by Manchester United and Michael Keane not good enough, central defence is an area that must be looked at this summer.

Sean Dyche has made it a priority of his during his time at Goodison Park to make the team defensively solid, and in the 2023/24 season only David Raya got more clean sheets than Jordan Pickford.

But even if the club are able to keep Branthwaite at the club, they need more depth and quality in case of injury or suspension.

Jacob Greaves is another player who has been targeted for the position, so it’s clear there are options that Dyche and Kevin Thelwell are looking at, and now that the attack has been addressed all attentions should shift to defence.

There’s plenty of time to go but the quicker a deal can be done the better, so this is one to keep an eye on for Blues fans.

In other Everton news, developments are expected next week after an official offer was tabled for a Toffees-linked star.

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