Official Transfers Abroad 2021

[Demesne Lad]

Niall Canavan, former Republic of Ireland U-21 defender, has signed for Bradford City, after two and a half years at Plymouth Argyle. (Yorkshire Post)

[Demesne Lad]

Simon Power (Norwich) has signed for Harrogate Town in League 2 (BBC)

[Demesne Lad]

Warren O'Hora (Brighton, ex-Bohs) has signed a permanent deal with MK Dons. (BBC)

[pineapple stu]

Simon Power (Norwich) has signed for Harrogate Town in League 2 (BBC)
Interesting - a level up from King's Lynn, where he had been playing.

Mayn't threaten the international set-up, but always like to see the ex UCD guys doing well for themselves, so touch wood he kicks on with this move.

[Olé Olé]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/0118/1190490-ex-bohs-defender-ohora-makes-permanent-move-to-mk-dons/

Not sure the fee but O'Hora turned his loan into a permanent deal with MK Dons. Hopefully Keogh's departure doesn't impact him negatively.

[nigel-harps1954]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/0118/1190490-ex-bohs-defender-ohora-makes-permanent-move-to-mk-dons/

Not sure the fee but O'Hora turned his loan into a permanent deal with MK Dons. Hopefully Keogh's departure doesn't impact him negatively.

Seen reports of somewhere in the region of £200-250k. 10% of that to Bohs as well. Another handy few quid for them.

[Demesne Lad]

Looks like Conor Masterson (QPR) is on his way to Swindon for the rest of the season. He has made 16 appearances for QPR since joining from Liverpool in 2019.

[Demesne Lad]

The much travelled attacking midfielder Jamie Devitt has signed an 18 month contract with Barrow (EFL2), having left Blackpool (BBC). Barrow will be his 11th club, and following decent spells at Morecambe and Carlisle suggests that he is settled in the North-West of England. He has one Republic of Ireland U-21 cap (Wikipedia).

[Olé Olé]

Corey Whelan is back from his stint in the States in the USL. He has signed for Wigan until the end of the season. Wigan are struggling but it's good going to get onto the ladder of English football at League One level.

[Demesne Lad]

Rob Elliot (ex-Newcastle and Republic of Ireland) has signed for Watford until the end of the season. (Ben Foster has a broken finger). Elliot is 34, but I always thought he was a decent, if not outstanding, keeper. I'm glad he is staying in the EFL.

[Trequartista20]

Decent move at this stage of his career.

[elatedscum]

Aaron McEneff has signed for Hearts! Improves his chances of making another ireland squad I guess...

[Olé Olé]

Fair play to JBM's young lad. He's consistent in his signings. Conor Shaughnessy has signed for Rochdale: https://galwaybayfm.ie/sports/soccer-conor-shaughnessy-signs-for-rochdale/

[Olé Olé]

Barry-Murphy strikes again. He has signed Conor Grant from Sheff Wednesday now too. Permanently.

[Trequartista20]

Joe Mason is to join Cavalry FC in the Canadian Premier League upon the expiry of his contract at MK Dons.

https://cavalryfc.canpl.ca/article/joe-mason-eng-signs-with-cavalry-fc

[pineapple stu]

Fair bit of movement so far this pre-season - most of it bad, although early doors tends to be about players being released of course. Summary here (https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/19330124.retained-list-every-efl-championship-league-one-league-two-club/).

Keiran Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Robbie Brady (Burnley), Conor Sammon (Falkirk), Shaun Williams (Millwall), Stephen Quinn (Burton), Glenn Whelan (Fleetwood), Alan Judge (Ipswich), Stephen Ward (Ipswich) all released and all capped.

Also Dan Crowley (Birmingham), Rene Gilmartin (Bristol City), Shane McLoughlin (Wimbledon), John-Joe O'Toole (Burton), Ian Lawlor (Doncaster), Anthony O'Connor (Bradford), Ryan Sweeney (Mansfield) and Gary Dicker (Kilmarnock) released, and capped at underage level.

I might have missed a couple of names there too. Really only Robbie Brady stands out in that list - maybe Alan Judge as well, who had a couple of great seasons but never really lived up to his full promise I think. But it's still a bit unnerving to see solid internationals like Westwood, Quinn, Whelan, Ward, etc, dropping towards retirement while we still await anyone to really replace them. There's a lingering feeling that we could still use them...

[seanfhear]

Fair bit of movement so far this pre-season - most of it bad, although early doors tends to be about players being released of course. Summary here (https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/19330124.retained-list-every-efl-championship-league-one-league-two-club/).

Keiran Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Robbie Brady (Burnley), Conor Sammon (Falkirk), Shaun Williams (Millwall), Stephen Quinn (Burton), Glenn Whelan (Fleetwood), Alan Judge (Ipswich), Stephen Ward (Ipswich) all released and all capped.

Also Dan Crowley (Birmingham), Rene Gilmartin (Bristol City), Shane McLoughlin (Wimbledon), John-Joe O'Toole (Burton), Ian Lawlor (Doncaster), Anthony O'Connor (Bradford), Ryan Sweeney (Mansfield) and Gary Dicker (Kilmarnock) released, and capped at underage level.

I might have missed a couple of names there too. Really only Robbie Brady stands out in that list - maybe Alan Judge as well, who had a couple of great seasons but never really lived up to his full promise I think. But it's still a bit unnerving to see solid internationals like Westwood, Quinn, Whelan, Ward, etc, dropping towards retirement while we still await anyone to really replace them. There's a lingering feeling that we could still use them...
It did seem like Alan Judge was on the cusp of getting a decent move just around the time he broke his leg = = No good time to break your leg but the timing for Alan Judge could Not have been worse. Football is a cruel game be-times. Alan Judge was very very unlucky.

[pineapple stu]

Yeah, the injury he got was horrible alright and really took the wind out of his sails at the worst possible time.

[Charlie Darwin]

It did seem like Alan Judge was on the cusp of getting a decent move just around the time he broke his leg = = No good time to break your leg but the timing for Alan Judge could Not have been worse. Football is a cruel game be-times. Alan Judge was very very unlucky.
Dicker was similar as well. Brighton were riding high and he looked to have potential for an international call-up and then he did his knee.

[pineapple stu]

Speaking of injuries, Darron Gibson released by Salford after 10 games in two years. 27 caps - he's only once managed more club games in a season than that, and that was in the Belgian second tier in 2006/07.

Paul McShane released by Rochdale, and Eddie Nolan (who to be honest I can't remember playing for us at all, but he has three caps) let go by Crewe.

[Charlie Darwin]

I remember Eddie Nolan playing in, I think, the same games as Sean St Leger made his first couple of appearances. Might have been Nigeria in London or something.

[Demesne Lad]

Stephen Quinn (35) has signed a one-year contract with Mansfield Town (L 2), having spent last season on loan from Burton Albion. (www.the42.ie)

[Demesne Lad]

Dylan Connolly has turned down an offer to stay at St. Mirren and opted instead for a 2-year contract at Northampton, recently relegated to EPL 2. Not an obvious move if he had any ambitions to play at a higher level - presumably a simple matter of financial benefit. After 39 appearances for St Mirren in 2020/21, it can't have been about game time either.

[seanfhear]

Dylan Connolly has turned down an offer to stay at St. Mirren and opted instead for a 2-year contract at Northampton, recently relegated to EPL 2. Not an obvious move if he had any ambitions to play at a higher level - presumably a simple matter of financial benefit. After 39 appearances for St Mirren in 2020/21, it can't have been about game time either.
So much for the attraction of Playing Celtic / Rangers ? !

[Demesne Lad]

Alan Judge hasn't always enjoyed the best of luck in his career; nice to see that he has signed a two-year contract with Colchester Utd., one of 4 Ipswich 'old boys' who are moving from Suffolk to Essex.

[pineapple stu]

God, that's more of a step down that I thought he'd take. With Ipswich you'd think he was on the fringes of the national team still - and we need a midfielder who can score - but Colchester is effectively international retirement.

[Trequartista20]

Couldn't find a thread for him but according to reports, Jack Bonham is close to joining Stoke City on a free transfer, his contract at Gillingham having expired:

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/stoke-city-close-to-completing-deal-for-27-year-old-free-agent/

[elatedscum]

U21 centre-half Mark McGuinness leaves Arsenal for Cardiff

[Trequartista20]

U21 centre-half Mark McGuinness leaves Arsenal for Cardiff

Potentially a very good move.

[pineapple stu]

Conor Sammon joins Alloa. Was surprised to see that they were in the Scottish second tier the last three seasons, and have only just been relegated

[CraftyToePoke]

Was surprised to see that they were in the Scottish second tier

Maybe they poached him.

[samhaydenjr]

U21 centre-half Mark McGuinness leaves Arsenal for Cardiff

So if he breaks into the first team quickly that could mean that our young centre-half options could look like this next season:

Premier League: Omobamidele, Collins (depending on rumoured transfer)

Championship: McGuinness, O'Shea, Masterson (if he can re-establish himself at QPR)

League one: O'Hora

Plus hopefully Jimmy Dunne will establish himself at a high level

[Demesne Lad]

Tom O'Connor, former U-21 international at Southampton, has been on loan at Gillingham. Burton Albion website announced this evening that the defender/midfielder will be joining Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank's Albion when his Southampton contract expires this summer.

[Demesne Lad]

Burton Albion or Burton Hibernian? Conor Shaughnessy (24, ex-Leeds Utd, Hearts, Rochdale) is signing for Burton on a two-year deal. (BBC Sport, 24 June)

[Demesne Lad]

After seven and a half years and 295 appearances for Millwall, Shaun Williams looks set to join Portsmouth (The News, 24 June).

[Demesne Lad]

Zack Elbouzedi (ex-Waterford, more recently on loan with Bolton Wanderers) has been told by Lincoln boss Michael Appleton that he can leave if he gets an opportunity of regular football elsewhere. (Lincolnshire Live, 25 June)

[Demesne Lad]

Aaron Drinan (23, ex-Waterford) is the 20th contracted pro to leave Ipswich Town since the end of the 2020/21 season. After various loan spells in England, Ireland and Sweden, 8 starts and 16 sub appearances (1 goal) for the Tractor Boys, Aaron is to join Leyton Orient in EFL 2. (www.twtd.co.uk 27 June)

[Trequartista20]

That's Ward, McGuinness, Judge, Parrott and now Drinan as Irish first-teamers from last season who've since left Ipswich.

Drinan is expected to sign for Leyton Orient:

https://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/leyton-orient-set-to-sign-ipswich-forward-drinan-8090902

Meanwhile, Corrie Ndaba is named as one of only 11 designated first-team players for next season:

https://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-town/itfc-players-demoted-to-u23s-8082572

[Olé Olé]

That is positive for Ndaba given that he is under 23 next season. If he had been allocated to the 23s, you'd wonder if he was in pergatory.

[Trequartista20]

Jack Bonham to join Stoke on a one year deal.

https://www.stokecityfc.com/news/2021/june/Bonham-to-check-in/

[Demesne Lad]

Corkonian Fiacre Kelleher, 25, has left National League Wrexham for EFL 2 Bradford City. He came through the Glasgow Celtic Academy, but never appeared for the senior team. He signed for Oxford Utd in 2017, but again never appeared for their first team. After 38 games on loan with Solihull Moors and 42 on loan with Macclesfield, he then appeared in 36 as a Macclesfield player. Fiacre added 42 games for Wrexham. At 6' 5" and with so much game time behind him, we may not have heard the last of him. (Bradford City website, Wikipedia)

[tetsujin1979]

26 transfers, 11 contract extensions, and one brief managerial appointment in the summer transfer window so far: http://irish-abroad.appspot.com/Blog?id=8977407765832399030

[Demesne Lad]

Ryan Burke has signed a one-year contract with Mansfield Town (EFL 2), after Nigel Clough and his team were impressed by his performances for Birmingham's U-23s. Ryan has been signed "to push Stephen McLaughlin, who will probably start as our left-back," said Clough. (BBC Football, 2 July). After just one substitute appearance for Birmingham's senior team and 6 for Yeovil in the National League, Ryan will surely hope for more game time with Mansfield.

[Trequartista20]

Kian Flanagan has left Crystal Palace for non-league Barnet.

https://www.barnetfc.com/news/2021/july/bees-sign-exciting-attacking-midfielder-kian-flanagan/

[tetsujin1979]

one year contract for Josh Giurgi at Norwich: https://www.canaries.co.uk/News/2021/july/professional-contracts-2021-22/

[Olé Olé]

Talks on Twitter of Zach Elbouzedi to AIK in Sweden. Interesting move. https://twitter.com/KennysKids/status/1413239799155146755?s=19

[elatedscum]

Ireland youth international Glory Nzingo leaves Pat's for Stade de Reims according to Pats. There was an article linking him to Rennes last week (Stade Rennais), but presumably the article got one club confused with the other...

Had the pandemic not cancelled all the 17s and 19s games, he'd be better known on here. Certainly one of the more promising players from that age group...

[Demesne Lad]

Stephen Ward, released by Ipswich after just one season, has signed for Walsall (EFL 2). (The 72, 9 July)

[pineapple stu]

Means he's gone from Premier to Championship to League One to League Two in successive seasons

[Olé Olé]

Means he's gone from Premier to Championship to League One to League Two in successive seasons

And he's got a year older each season too!