Jake O’Brien is likely frustrated by his current situation at Everton, although there is little suggestion that the defender has fallen out with manager David Moyes.
That is the view of former Everton senior scout Bryan King, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider.
The 25-year-old has not even been introduced from the bench so far this season, despite making 40 appearances across all competitions during the previous campaign.
O’Brien was linked with a departure from Everton during the closing weeks of the transfer window and was reportedly eager to return to his preferred position at centre-back.
However, Moyes has given no indication that he intends to use him in that role, with Jarrad Branthwaite, James Tarkowski and Michael Keane seemingly ahead of him in the defensive pecking order.
His opportunities at right-back also appear to have become more limited following Merlin Rohl’s emergence and the arrival of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, adding further uncertainty over his future at Goodison Park.
Jake O’Brien has ‘never played in the position he wants’
King revealed to Football Insider that Everton had agreed a deal which would have allowed O’Brien to return to Crystal Palace this summer for around £24million.
However, the proposed transfer fell through during the final days of the window, leaving the Ireland international in an uncertain position.
With O’Brien’s contract running until 2028, a departure within the next year now appears increasingly possible, although he could still have an opportunity to work his way back into Moyes’ plans this season.
“If David Moyes is going to spend that kind of money [£17m], then as he’s done in the last couple of seasons, really, he’s played,” King told Football Insider.
“I think the thing that’s annoyed O’Brien is that he’s never played in the position he wants to play in. He’s been used in many positions, and I feel that I don’t think they fell out.
“I think that the problem with O’Brien is, and he’s knocking on David Moyes’s door, he wants to be in the starting eleven. He wants to be playing every week.
“And of course, the thing that happened in the summer hasn’t helped, has it? You know, the Crystal Palace business.”
Everton’s squad depth could force David Moyes into a decision
Everton entered the summer hoping to strengthen the depth of Moyes’ squad, but they ultimately ended the window with even fewer options in certain areas.
Maitland-Niles arrived on deadline day with the task of providing cover for both Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson. And although Rohl has made a positive start in the position, it is worth remembering that he missed several months of last season through injury.
The same concern applies to Branthwaite, while Tarkowski and Keane are both approaching their 34th birthdays this season, potentially leaving Moyes with several defensive issues to manage.
That could make O’Brien an important option as the campaign progresses. An opportunity created by injuries or squad rotation could give him the chance he needs to show that he deserves to play regularly in his favoured centre-back role.