Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool)
Age: 26
Starts this season: 13, five clean sheets
Estimated value: €25 million
The arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili next season indicates that Kelleher’s days at Anfield are numbered with Newcastle United reportedly leading a long list of suitors. But a departure in June rather than January seems more likely.
With seven Premier League starts from October to December, when Liverpool went undefeated, their drive to capture the 2024/25 title was being shaped around Ireland’s number one. That is until Alisson Becker regained fitness.
Similar to Real Madrid’s bid for Trent Alexander-Arnold being rebuffed, the club are unlikely to sell Kelleher in January as it could disrupt Arne Slot’s remarkable first season as manager. Considering Becker’s unreliable hamstrings, it would be bad business to let the Cork goalkeeper go now. Especially to a rival like Newcastle.
“I made it clear in the last few years I want to go be a number one and play week in, week out,” said Kelleher last September. “The club made the decision to get another goalkeeper [Mamardashvili]. From the outside looking in, it looks like they have made a decision to go in another direction.”
Contracted until 2026, Kelleher does not currently control his own career path, as he learned in August when Liverpool rejected a bid from Nottingham Forest.
“It looks like it is 100 per cent my decision [to stay or go] but at times it is not always in my hands.”
Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion)
Age: 20
Starts this season: 4, one goal
Estimated value: €40-60 million
Brighton seemed like the ideal environment for the most exciting Irish talent to emerge since Robbie Keane, but injuries coupled with a dip in form have conspired to alter Ferguson’s career trajectory in the past 15 months.
At different stages, Bournemouth, West Ham United, Stuttgart, Fulham, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have reportedly been interested in signing the Irish striker whose progress has been slowed by patellar tendon, Achilles and ankle issues.
Two Premier League starts and 10 runs off the bench have yielded just one goal, which contrasts sharply with the £100 million price tag slapped on the Bettystown teenager following his hat-trick against Newcastle in September 2023.
Brighton could insert an obligation-to-buy-clause in any loan deal, which makes him an unnecessary risk, and his current ankle injury is bad timing as no properly functioning club will want to sign an injured centre forward on loan for six months.
“It’s not an easy issue, but I hope that it doesn’t take too long,” said manager Fabian Hürzeler. “We really have to go week for week and hope that he’s a good healer.”
Like Kelleher’s situation, it makes no sense for the Seagulls to cut ties with a player they developed, and have contracted until June 2029.
Flashes of Ferguson’s rare ability were visible in November starts for Ireland against Finland and England at Wembley, only for the latest ankle problem to deny him an opportunity to unseat injured Brighton veteran Danny Welbeck.
Jake O’Brien (Everton)
Age: 23
Starts this season: 2, both in Carabao Cup
Estimated value: €15 million
Stranded on a Premier League bench. That’s not how O’Brien expected his first season in the English top flight to play out after earning a £16.4 million move from Lyon. Despite James Tarkowski, Michael Keane and Jarrad Branthwaite being rated ahead of the big Cork man, Everton manager Sean Dyche is not interested in loaning out the Toffees’ defensive cover as they lie one point clear of the relegation zone.
O’Brien has only seen 34 minutes of league action since arriving at Goodison Park on a four-year deal. As a result, he lost his place in the Republic of Ireland squad to Luton Town’s Mark McGuinness, who is behind Dara O’Shea, Liam Scales and Nathan Collins for a place in Heimir Hallgrímsson’s line-up. That’s a long way back for a player who was primed to become a valuable set-piece weapon for Ireland.
The best option in January is a permanent move to a Championship side, or back to France, so Everton receive funds to replace him. Again, this is unlikely as they are in the market for an international right back to replace injury-prone club captain Séamus Coleman and the 39-year-old Ashley Young.
O’Brien might benefit from a complete collapse in Everton’s form – they are currently winless from five matches – whereby Dyche gets the sack and a new manager drops him into the relegation scrap.
Andrew Omobamidele (Nottingham Forest)
Age: 22
Starts this season: One, in Carabao Cup
Estimated value: €11 million
Both Leeds United and Sheffield United are believed to be interested in bringing Omobamidele back to the Championship with Leeds manager Daniel Farke previously coaching him at Norwich City.
Both clubs are pushing hard for promotion so the Leixlip defender’s stalled career could be revived by making the correct choice. Leeds is a riskier move as Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk are an established partnership whereas Sheffield United on loan could see him replace injured Australian international Harry Souttar.
What seems clear is Omobamidele needs a move away from Nottingham Forest as Nuno Espírito Santo has shown little interest in a player who burst into the consciousness of Irish supporters with a fine display against Serbia back in September 2021.
The future looked bright until a stress fracture to his back ruined most of 2023, although he subsequently secured an £11 million move to Forest where, when fit, he has been surplus to requirements. Having made just one appearance in the Carabao Cup after reportedly signing a five-year deal, the move to the City Ground has not worked out.
Hallgrímsson tried him at right-back against Greece last September before excluding him from recent squads, mainly because the Icelander has not seen him play.
And one who should stay where he is ... Mason Melia (St Patrick’s Athletic)
Age: 17
Starts this season: 21 starts, five in Europe, six goals
Estimated value: €300,000
St Patrick’s Athletic’s 0-0 draw with Istanbul Başakşehir in Tallaght last August let the cat out of the bag. Melia was outstanding for 90 minutes, holding play up and constantly peeling off the defender’s shoulder with intent.
“I’ve never had it before – someone so young doing so well in such a pivotal position,” admitted St Pat’s manager Stephen Kenny. “Mason is defying the odds. He has good values and a very high work ethic.”
Melia appears to be soundly advised by family, including his agent uncle Clive Clarke, and St Pat’s, where he’s contracted until the end of 2026 – which makes sense as under Brexit rules he cannot join a British club until next January’s transfer window, given that he only turns 18 in September.
There are other options. At 16, Manchester City wanted him to join their feeder club Lommel SK in the Belgian second tier and Tottenham Hotspur suggested a similar move to Westerlo before Bologna reportedly offered St Pat’s a seven-figure sum for the Ireland under-19s striker.
Melia should be wary of a move to Italy as his Ireland underage team-mate Raj Nazi is playing Primavera 2 for Como 1907 while James Abankwah and Festy Ebosele both struggled to make an impact at Udinese.
The League of Ireland is a better product if the teenager continues to lead the line for St Pat’s in 2025 but his natural progression could force a move. In many ways he is the test case for the future development of Irish talent, with Evan Ferguson and Troy Parrott showing him what can go wrong at a Premier League club.
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