Everton might be embroiled in an alarming ownership (or lack thereof) situation that places the club's future in uncertainty, but Sean Dyche is hard at work as he musters his troops ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
It would seem that avoiding relegation from the Premier League would be the primary objective, but the Toffees have showcased resilience and robustness under their gritty manager, finishing 15th last term despite being hit with an eight-point deduction for financial breaches.
10th
Crystal Palace
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11th
Brighton & Hove Albion
-7
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12th
Everton
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13th
Bournemouth
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14th
Fulham
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They are also displaying a willingness to improve. Iliman Ndiaye and Tim Iroegbunam have been welcomed to the fold, while Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Napoli winger Jesper Lindstrom is currently in the process of completing a loan move with a £19m buy option inserted.
A host of players have been sold, notably Amadou Onana to Aston Villa in a £50m deal, but long-serving defender Ben Godfrey is also among the departees, having joined Atalanta in Serie A for a £10m fee.
Everton hope that Jarrad Branthwaite remains at Goodison Park for the 2024/25 season despite the vested interest of Manchester United, but a new face is needed at the rear, and Dyche is hoping to make a signing.
Everton want new defender
According to Foot Mercato over in France, there's a lot of excitement bubbling around Lyon centre-back Jake O'Brien, with Everton and Brentford tussling for his signature. O'Brien, 23, is also attracting interest from West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Brentford have the lead, holding talks with the Ligue 1 side to discuss the possibility of a transfer, but the Toffees are expected to accelerate their interest if Thomas Frank's side ramp it up a gear.
What's so good about Jake O'Brien
Standing at a lofty 6 foot 6, O'Brien has gone from strength to strength in France, joining from Crystal Palace last summer after never making a senior appearance for the Eagles.
The Republic of Ireland international failed to enter the field of play over Lyon's opening five Ligue 1 matches last season, though started 27 times henceforth, missing out only once due to a one-match suspension.
Remarkably, it was his first taste of sustained top-flight action after loan spells at Swindon Town and RWD Molenbeek (second-flight Belgian side) in recent years. Still, across all competitions, O'Brien demonstrated his brilliant attacking sense by notching five goals.
Not just a goalscorer from deep, O'Brien also completed 88% of his passes in the French top flight, won 61% of his duels and averaged 4.7 ball recoveries and 3.6 clearances per game, as per Sofascore.
He's got what it takes to be a complete-performing centre-half in the Premier League, but his attacking ability is hard to ignore, ranking among the 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored and the top 10% for assists per 90, as per FBref. No wonder he's been dubbed a "revelation" by writer Zach Lowy…
With such impressive aerial qualities and an innate attacking instinct, O'Brien could be the perfect addition to an already-imposing Toffees backline, with his height and aptitude in the final third making him the dream partner for Dwight McNeil, whose set-piece delivery is something to behold.
Why O'Brien would be perfect for McNeil
McNeil, principally a left winger, joined Everton from Burnley for a £20m fee following the Clarets' relegation from the Premier League in 2022, since clinching ten goals and ten assists apiece over 80 appearances.
Last season, his ball-playing quality was on full show, averaging two key passes and 1.9 crosses per outing, creating 17 big chances for his teammates.
That's a pretty special number of created chances, speaking highly of his creative acumen and what it brings to Dyche's outfit, adept at utilising its bulk to impose itself on opponents and pressing for goals.
1.
Mohamed Salah
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Kevin De Bruyne
21
2.
Bruno Fernandes
21
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Heung-min Son
20
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Trent Alexander-Arnold
17
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Cole Palmer
17
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Dwight McNeil
17
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Martin Odegaard
17
As you can see, McNeil's up against some knockout names right there. Journalist Joe Thomas has praised him for his "magic" talents in the past, while Dyche has been particularly vocal in his effusions.
The manager said: “He’s a really good player, he’s improving, his calmness at the end – I’m saying get it in the corner – but he cuts in, and his calmness to cross it into a dangerous area, and then gets his reward. Before then, his calmness to dribble out of trouble – he’s a really good player, really good, and he can only mature.”
After all, ranking among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating action and the top 13% for progressive carries per 90, his workrate is clear and so too is his drive to improve his team. His skill as a creator would certainly prove to be a happy marriage as far as O'Brien is concerned, with the defender so devastating as an aerial threat.
Indeed, signing O'Brien would add another string to Everton's bow, increasing the depth and dynamism at a crucial point in the club's history.
The Merseysiders were reported to be considering a bid totalling around £17m earlier in the summer, so it wouldn't be out of the question to imagine that the club have the funds to get the deal done – especially after selling Onana for such a sizeable figure.
The road ahead might look to be fraught with peril, but Everton have proved themselves resilient and determined under Dyche's management, and the forthcoming season might just prove to hatch a sense of optimism.
Imagine him & Lindstrom: Everton make contact to sign £72k-p/w sensation
The attacker has huge experience playing all over Europe.
ByEthan Lamb
