Everton have completed their anticipated signing of Republic of Ireland centre-back Jake O’Brien from Lyon.
O’Brien has signed a four-year deal at Goodison Park, with BBC Sport reporting the undisclosed fee comes in at £16.4m ($21m).
The 23-year-old is Sean Dyche’s fifth signing of the summer as he bids to avoid another relegation scrap with the Toffees. O’Brien joins midfielder Tim Ireogbunam, forwards Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom and returning Leeds United loanee Jack Harrison on Merseyside.
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"I've been dreaming of this kind of move in the Premier League, with such a historic club. It's a very exciting move for me," said O’Brien, who made 27 appearances for Ligue 1 giants Lyon after joining from Crystal Palace last summer.
"Everton is a huge club with a lot of history behind it and there's a big future as well. When the transfer window opened there were other clubs in for me but there was only one club I wanted to go to – it was Everton. They've shown the faith in me so now it's my turn to show why on the pitch."
O’Brien might be viewed by many as a prospective replacement for Jarred Branthwaite, who has been linked to Manchester United after a stunning breakout campaign at Goodison last term.
Dyche has refuted that the equation will simply be one-in, one-out when it comes to his centre-backs and O’Brien cited Branthwaite’s progress as a reason for wanting to work under the Everton manager.
"I'm a ball-playing centre half, fast, I like to attack in both boxes and I like to bring a bit of excitement," he said.
"You see how Sean Dyche develops young centre-halves and what he has done for Jarrad [Branthwaite]. The way he's going now, the season he’s had in the Premier League — it's obviously something I look at and something I want to replicate."
