Ajax is trying to convince Jake O'Brien to make a move to Amsterdam, according to journalist Mike McGrath of The Telegraph Thursday. The 23-year-old centre-back is under contract with Olympique Lyon until mid-2027 and is also of keen interest to Everton, it is said.

According to reports, Ajax are in a 'fierce battle' with Everton to win O'Brien's signature. It seems the defender will make a decision about his future soon, probably so as not to miss too much of the pre-season.

It is still unclear what conditions Ajax and Everton are offering and to what extent Olympique Lyon is prepared to cooperate on a transfer. According to Transfer market the Irish international is worth around twelve million euros.

Last Ligue 1 season, O'Brien was a regular for Olympique Lyon, making 27 starts and scoring four goals in those matches.

In the summer of 2023, the defender, who played both left and right in the center, came over from Crystal Palace for a fee of around one million euros. The year before, he played on loan at RWD Molenbeek in the Belgian Challenger Pro League.

O'Brien made his international debut on 4 June in the friendly against Hungary (2-1 win). He then played the full ninety minutes in the final match against Portugal before the European Championship, but that match was lost by a wide margin: 3-0.

Ajax seems to have to sell first in order to be able to knock on Olympique Lyon and O'Brien's door with a serious offer. The question is whether the Irishman can muster that patience.

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