Jake O’Brien has played only 34 minutes of Premier League football since signing for Everton last summer.
The 23-year-old admitted he would need to remain patient for first team opportunities at Goodison Park this season, but not many would have predicted how little he would play for Sean Dyche following his £16.4 million arrival from Lyon.
However, the Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday (31 December) that French, German and Italian sides are keen to capitalise on O’Brien’s lack of game time on Merseyside and will test the Blues’ resolve with loan offers in January.
O’Brien finds himself firmly behind Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski in the Everton pecking order, but he could lay down a serious claim for a starting berth heading into the second half of the season.
Everton should keep the faith with Jake O’Brien
Kevin Thelwell faces an uncertain future at Everton following The Friedkin Group takeover as his summer exploits come under the microscope.
Perhaps the most disappointing is O’Brien – his acquisition appeared to be an astute signing for the Toffees, but even when Branthwaite struggled with injuries at the beginning of the season, 31-year-old Michael Keane started ahead of him.
However, there is a slimmer of hope that the centre-back can end his maiden year at Goodison Park on a high note, should Thelwell fend off interest from abroad.
Tarkowski, as excellent as he has been for the Blues, is becoming a severe liability, and he was fortunate to remain on the pitch during the 2-0 loss against Nottingham Forest on Sunday (29 December) after lunging into Chris Wood while on a yellow card.
This is not his first offence – Tarkowski was involved in a similar incident during the 2-0 win against Crystal Palace earlier this year, after his tackle on Jean-Philippe Mateta narrowly avoided giving away a penalty kick with the scored tied at 0-0.
Furthermore, ex-Everton boss David Moyes berated the centre-back for his “really poor” defensive efforts in the 4-0 loss against Manchester United – Tarkowski is an accident waiting to happen.
While O’Brien will need time to get up to speed in the Premier League, he should be considered for a starting berth against high-flying Bournemouth on Saturday – Everton have a torrid record when travelling to the Vitality Stadium and cannot afford any costly errors.
View: Everton ace can prove the doubters wrong at Goodison Park after exit news drops
