Wolves to rival Ipswich Town in transfer race for Burnley star | OneFootball

The Irishman has caught the eye of many Premier League clubs this summer.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have identified Burnley central defender Dara O'Shea as a potential transfer target, and are ready to challenge Brentford and Ipswich Town for the 25-year-old.

John Percy of The Telegraph has said that Wolves see the centre of defence as a priority position for them this summer, after they lost Max Kilman to West Ham United in a deal worth £40 million.

The outlet previously stated that the Bees were close to agreeing a deal with the Championship side for the defender which would net Burnley £7 million in profits. However, later reports from Sky Sports stated that the two parties were not nearing any consensus on a prospective deal.

Ipswich were reported this morning to be in for the Irish international, with Alan Nixon reporting, via his Patreon, that the Tractor Boys were looking to make a £10 million move for O'Shea - £4 million less than the reported deal that Brentford were close to.

Wolves enter Dara O'Shea race

O'Shea has been picked out as a player who could help boost the fortunes of Gary O'Neill's side, as per The Telegraph. They are also said to be looking at options in wide attacking areas, but Burnley shouldn't be concerned on that front as things stand.

While Wolves are part of the race for O'Shea, alongside their two league rivals, they may not find a deal particularly easy to do.

They have earned £94 million from the sales of Kilman and Pedro Neto, but are only planning to spend £20 million of it. They've already brought in £40 million worth of players this summer, and Gary O'Neill has only been given a small proportion of the incoming cash flow to work with in the remaining days of the window.

Given Brentford's offering was said to be £14 million (£7 million more than the original £7 million that the Clarets paid to get O'Shea from West Bromwich Albion last summer), Wanderers may have to go above that figure in order to get their target, which would mean using most of the remaining budget.

Sky Sports believe that Burnley want a "huge fee" for the player.

One thing that will help them is that previous stories suggested that Ipswich's chances of getting O'Shea weren't great. Football Insider stated that he had turned down the option of going to Portman Road to see what would develop with Brentford, which could mean that Wolves only have one team to battle with.

The defender made his name at the Hawthorns. His impressive 2022/23 campaign in the second tier for the Albion was what caused those at Turf Moor to go after him last summer.

Given his connections with that club and its supporters, it may be hard for those at Molineux to convince O'Shea to cross that bitter divide and join Wolves.

Now, things like this don't always play into the minds of players.

Ultimately, it may come down to whatever he feels is the better career move for him.

If he thinks that Wolves is the best option, and if they can agree a deal with Burnley, then he could well end up there. But his Baggies links could be yet another thing that prevents them from getting him.