Irish players moving during January Transfer

Author: Liam Lacey, Last Updated: 19.11.2024

There may be two months left until the January transfer window opens, but it has already become quite clear for several Irish players that a move away from their current clubs may be the best course of action in their search for regular first team football, and a place in Ireland squads moving forward.

The players that may need a move in January

Below we look at five players who could be best served for various reasons in moving on from their current clubs once the window opens in January.

1. Evan Ferguson

The former Bohemians man was the toast of the Premier League just over a year ago after a hat-trick against Newcastle United saw him compared to Alan Shearer and Harry Kane. Since then, the 20-year old’s career unfortunately appears to have stalled considerably.

An apparent loss of faith in the striker from former Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi as well as injury issues that kept him out of the closing months of last season and opening month of this campaign has left Ferguson with a dilemma when it comes to his future on the South coast. The form of Danny Welbeck this season as well as the fact that big money signings Joao Pedro and Georginio Rutter seem to be ahead of Ferguson in Fabian Hurzeler’s plans mean a January move of some description may be Ferguson’s best course of action.

2. Jake O’ Brien

Former Lyon defender O’ Brien impressed many with his exploits at the Ligue 1 club last season, and when Everton paid close to €20million to capture the Cork man this summer it was seen as quite the coup for the Goodison Park club.

Many viewed him as a replacement for Jarrad Branthwaite if the highly rated English defender left, or as a partner if Branthwaite stayed, but unfortunately for O’ Brien neither has materialised. Branthwaite has barely featured for the club, but the Irish international has still only played three times for Everton, with Sean Dyche preferring James Tarkowski and the much-maligned Michael Keane as his preferred partnership at centre back. A January move, if even a temporary one, might suit O’ Brien after he was left out of the last Irish squad due to a lack of minutes.

3. Andrew Omobamidele

Another Irish centre half that is struggling for any game time is Nottingham Forest centre back Andrew Omobamidele. The Leixlip man joined Forest in 2023 from Norwich City for a reported €11million and featured 14 times last season in all competitions.

This season has been a struggle however, as he has played just once in the League Cup and has only been on the Forest bench for four of their ten Premier League matches. The 22-year-old has been capped 10 times for the Irish side and has featured in Heimir Hallgrimsson’s Irish squads so far this season but may need to find regular first team football somewhere if he wants to keep his place in the Irish squad.

4. Caoimhin Kelleher

It looked like Kelleher was going to leave Liverpool during the summer window as the Cork man declared his desire to be a first-choice goalkeeper somewhere. He stayed and has managed to start 7 times in all competitions this season, mainly due to injuries to first choice No 1 Alisson. The 25-year-old has shown in his appearances for the Anfield giants that he is certainly capable of being a first-choice goalkeeper somewhere, but it appears as though that won’t be at Liverpool.

Alisson is still the club’s No 1, and deservedly so too as one of the best keepers in the world, but Kelleher’s task has been made even more difficult with the news that Georgian keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili will join from Valencia in the summer of 2025. It appears that Kelleher’s future now lies away from Liverpool, and if the Irish international decides to move there will be no shortage of takers due to the form he has shown as Alisson’s deputy over recent seasons.

5. Tom Cannon

Stoke City’s on loan forward Tom Cannon is in a different boat to the other four players on this list. The 21-year-old has featured regularly on loan at Stoke from Leicester City but may face moving to a new club in January if the reports of Leicester recalling the former Everton man and looking to either sell him or loan him to a higher profile club come true.

Cannon has impressed intermittently at Stoke, scoring four goals in a match against Portsmouth in early October, and may welcome a move as he looks to nail down a place in Irish squads moving forward, having failed to make the cut in either of the new Irish manager’s squads so far.

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