Michael Noonan and Harry Wood are set to stay with Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne respectively despite intense transfer interest from overseas in both ahead of Monday’s deadline.
Ireland U21 striker Noonan looked to be on his way to Bundesliga outfit TSG Hoffenheim when the first part of the deal, an upfront fee of €1.8m, was agreed between the clubs but it’s understood the player shied away from the proposal on Thursday. Broad terms on his part of the package were on the table.
It’s believed another European club of higher profile entered the equation in midweek too but Noonan is content to stick around Rovers until the summer at least when they retake their place in the Champions League.
The 17-year-old could have moved directly to Germany on Tuesday if all parties were agreeable but the UK market opens up under Brexit rules on July 31 once he turns 18.
Chelsea have been the fore in monitoring the striker but English rivals are likely to resurrect their interest once the deadline closes.
Noonan’s reputation among Europe’s powerhouses mushroomed following his performance at the U17 World Cup in Qatar. Barcelona chose to offer terms instead to Hamza Abdel Karim, the Egyptian forward who turned 18 on new year’s day, but may revisit the Irishman’s situation.
“Anything can happen but right now Michael is in the plans for Dundalk,” Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley said about his lookahead of Friday’s start to their title defence on Friday.
“Right now, I’d imagine he’ll be here. He hasn’t been to Germany. Maybe he was on holiday one time.
“He’s so mature in dealing with things. Sometimes you see his vulnerability in terms of his age. But he’s so mature in general.
“There’s a lot of interest. And we’ve been very open with everybody that’s come in.”
Noonan was an unused sub in Saturday’s President’s Cup decider, which Derry City won 1-0 at Tallaght.
“Him and his mam have been kept in the loop at every step,” Bradley continued about the transfer talk.
“And it’s great we have the relationship that we can speak honestly and openly and talk.
“I was up in their house last week and we had a really good chat. He’s in a good place, Michael. He’s not the type to allow anything like that distract him.”
Wood, meanwhile, was the subject of serious interest from League One clubs in recent days. The 23-year-old joined the Reds on a permanent deal in early 2024 following an earlier loan from Hull City, on a contract up to the end of this year.
He was instrumental in Shels’ surge to the league phase of the Uefa Conference League last year, scoring goals against Linfield that sealed their passage.
That progression banked €4.5m from that run and though a fee of around €500,000 for Wood has been floated, Shels are in a position whereby they don’t need to sell. They begin the bid to regain their title on Friday away to Waterford.
James McClean was the centre of attention on his second Derry debut, starting in a new holding midfield role and setting up the only goal for fellow newcomer Darragh Markey after 33 minutes.
He used his celebration to hush the Rovers fanbase who’d been mocking the centurion. After the match, he was involved in an altercation with a journalist he has had history with and also spoke on social media about a particular taunt he’d been subjected to.
Always colourful and controversial, the 36-year-old is sure to be immersed in controversy during the season.
Importantly, however, he could be the piece Derry have missed in their bid to claim a first Premier title since 1997.
“It’s impossible to go off that game, it really is,” Bradley contended about circling Derry as their biggest challengers to their crown.
“We’ve always looked at that as a pre-season final game and we’ve used it like that. I’d imagine from what Derry have invested in their squad that they will respect the challenge.
“That’s quite clear and I think they will be there. Someone talks about another team and they’re going to be a challenge as well but we’ll see when the season finishes in November.”
