2025 Arrivals and Departures

**BigEars** · 04/02/2025, 9:14 PM

Originally Posted by Longfordian

I'm not sure how that'd be enforceable against two clubs not party to the original agreement? Unless Spurs are guaranteeing to pay whatever that amount would be. Which seems a bit silly when they have no control over it. What if he's ridiculously successful and is sold on for �60m?

Football contracts can be very convoluted, and I imagine the latter is exactly what Spurs have agreed to. I imagine it's incerted so if he goes on a free somewhere from Spurs, Pat's can still get part of a later transfer fee.

Spurs in the efforts to sign a talented young player among competition have probably thought that, if he does well they'll get good money from him for any initial sale anyway, and if he does go for free or small money, a following transfer fee will likely also be free or small money.

**joey B** · 04/02/2025, 9:17 PM

Just noticed Luke O�Brien signed with Carrick Rangers,was fairly meh for us last season and definitely didn�t look anywhere near good enough for Pats �..

**2 Year Contract** · 04/02/2025, 9:22 PM

Originally Posted by joey B

Just noticed Luke O�Brien signed with Carrick Rangers,was fairly meh for us last season and definitely didn�t look anywhere near good enough for Pats �..

In peak LOI fashion (excuse the pun)� I was in Elverys before Christmas buying the new Pats jersey and he was working behind the till. He may not be fit to wear the shirt by your reckoning but he was doing a fine job of selling it!

Got chatting to him, he's a sound lad and hope he does well up there

**2 Year Contract** · 04/02/2025, 9:24 PM

Brilliant deal negotiated by Ger O'Brien and Co at Pats for Melia. Great to have him for another year too. Hopefully we start to see more deals of this ilk across the league in the future

**pineapple stu** · 04/02/2025, 9:47 PM

Originally Posted by Longfordian

I'm not sure how that'd be enforceable against two clubs not party to the original agreement? Unless Spurs are guaranteeing to pay whatever that amount would be.

It may be dependent on Spurs having their own sell-on clause in any deal and giving Pat's, say, 10% of any sell-on clause they get.

Weird one for sure though

**2 Year Contract** · 04/02/2025, 9:52 PM

Johnny Kenny seems to have ruled out a return to rovers on loan this season with this tweet

https://x.com/johnny_kenny2/status/1...548150795?s=46

Makes sense that he�d stick around at Celtic and fight for his place after they sold Kyogo and didn�t replace him in the window

**Longfordian** · 04/02/2025, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

It may be dependent on Spurs having their own sell-on clause in any deal and giving Pat's, say, 10% of any sell-on clause they get.

Weird one for sure though

Yeah. I'm academically curious as to how it works! Fair play to Pats anyhow.

**total hoofball** · 04/02/2025, 10:29 PM

I see the Sky Sports ROI website headline article has the Melia Spurs deal with a dose of fake news resulting in myself double checking Harry Wood's goal in Derry yet again

The teenager helped St Pats win the 2024 League of Ireland Premier Division title after a thrilling title race

https://www.skysports.com/football/l...-and-contracts

**dundalkfc10** · 04/02/2025, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract

Johnny Kenny seems to have ruled out a return to rovers on loan this season with this tweet

https://x.com/johnny_kenny2/status/1...548150795?s=46

Makes sense that he�d stick around at Celtic and fight for his place after they sold Kyogo and didn�t replace him in the window

Brendan Rodgers wasn't happy today in his press conference that they never signed a striker despite knowing Kyogo wanted away since the summer

Another Celtic youngster striker Cummings (came on against Villa) has signed a pre contract with West Ham and he wasn't allowed leave Celtic either.

You would think Kenny will get plenty of game time between now and end season considering they have the league wrapped up already, be loads minutes available

**MoydowMonty** · 04/02/2025, 10:56 PM

Longford don't seem bothered about announcing their signings for some reason so I'm listing them here (as per FAI connect being gospel)

Joshua Giurgi, Aaron Doran - Maynooth University Town
Daniel Chukwu - Bray
Osaze Irhue - Drogs
Andrew Spain - Kerry

**BigEars** · 04/02/2025, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by dundalkfc10

Brendan Rodgers wasn't happy today in his press conference that they never signed a striker despite knowing Kyogo wanted away since the summer

Another Celtic youngster striker Cummings (came on against Villa) has signed a pre contract with West Ham and he wasn't allowed leave Celtic either.

You would think Kenny will get plenty of game time between now and end season considering they have the league wrapped up already, be loads minutes available

I know a lot of Rovers fans were wondering why he wasn't on his way back to them, considering at one point it looked unlikely he'd get much first team action.

However any move back to the LOI would have been the end of his Celtic career and the strong likelihood of moving to a smaller club or playing at a lower level. He'd already proven himself at LOI and Conference League level, and even a solid 6 months at home probably wouldn't have gotten him much more interest than what would be there right now.

Now their main striker is gone and not replaced, he'll probably be getting some opportunities off the bench to make an impact.

Disappointint for Rovers but in hindsight it seems Kenny has made the right decision.

**2 Year Contract** · 04/02/2025, 11:40 PM

Surprised there hasn�t been any clubs over here linked to Mark Doyle. He was released by Rhode Island just over 2 months ago now and there�s not been any links. I reckon he�d be a good signing for a good few clubs, can see him fitting in well back at Drogheda for example. Maybe he has another club lined up in America though with their season starting a few weeks after ours, in March

**joey B** · 04/02/2025, 11:42 PM

Shane Flynn signed for Ballymena from Waterford

**TonyD** · 04/02/2025, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by total hoofball

I see the Sky Sports ROI website headline article has the Melia Spurs deal with a dose of fake news resulting in myself double checking Harry Wood's goal in Derry yet again

https://www.skysports.com/football/l...-and-contracts

Yeah, that�s absolutely what happened, I remember it so clearly

**placid casual** · 05/02/2025, 12:04 AM

Richie Towell has signed for lucan united.
That is not a joke.

**RealJohn91** · 05/02/2025, 1:27 AM

Not shocked at all, his legs were clearly gone.

**Acornvilla** · 05/02/2025, 9:34 AM

On Melia, a fee like that for any LOI club is huge and a sign of progress. I hope that kind of money brings some sort of sustainability and safety to the jobs of those working around the club off the pitch too for the work they put in.

Staying around for a season is great for his own development and for the league. There will be big interest in what he does at a good Pats side while he continues to learn on the job.

**Another Bohemia** · 05/02/2025, 9:57 AM

Originally Posted by Acornvilla

I hope that kind of money brings some sort of sustainability and safety to the jobs of those working around the club off the pitch too for the work they put in.

Credit where it's due Kelleher seems about as good an owner as any club could ask for. He invests in the first team and funded the structures for the youth teams. His backing is probably a significant part of the reason the club was able to secure such a few for Melia. Melia was given a long contract (and probably good money) very early into his career and that increases the minimum compensation Pats would be paid should Melia leave on a free. Hopefully fees like this become more common around the league.

**Jack B** · 05/02/2025, 10:33 AM

Happy for Melia and from a Pat's perspective that we're keeping him for another year too. As the season went on last year he went from looking like a great prospect to just a top player in the league despite his age and you'd imagine that'll only continue to be the case.

It will hopefully set some kind of a precedent for the league too, as much as this is a great deal in a LOI sense these kind of fees aren't unheard of in comparable or even lesser leagues than ours.

**Kiki Balboa** · 05/02/2025, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by Jack B

It will hopefully set some kind of a precedent for the league too, as much as this is a great deal in a LOI sense these kind of fees aren't unheard of in comparable or even lesser leagues than ours.

The amount of lads of teenage years that is making an impact on the league is massive and really shows the success of the LOI underage system (along with Brexit). Hopefully, it will start having an impact at the elite end of football for the National Team... but no matter what, it has been a massive success for LOI.