Ipswich Town have raised their interest in Burnley defender Dara O’Shea, 25, and are ready to table an offer.
That’s according to Alan Nixon via Patreon, who has said that the Tractor Boys are chasing a £10 million deal for the centre-back, who has also been linked with a move to Brentford this summer.
It had previously been reported by Football Insider that the Irishman had rejected a transfer to Ipswich in favour of a switch to the Bees, however, a bid is yet to be received by Burnley from Brentford.
The Clarets have made a superb start to the new season, scoring nine goals and conceding just once, and are sitting top of the table after two games.
O’Shea has played every minute of Burnley’s two Championship games so far in 2024/25, finding the back of the net against Luton Town, so it is no surprise that there is such great interest from the Premier League.
Burnley will want to turn a good profit on O’Shea
If the centre-back is to be sold, then an eight-figure fee will have to be agreed upon by the two clubs.
The 25-year-old joined Burnley for £7 million last summer from West Bromwich Albion, and played 33 times in the Premier League as Vincent Kompany’s side were relegated back to the second tier after just one season.
But, O’Shea was excellent at the back, and also chipped in going forward, scoring three goals and picking up four assists.
Burnley have had a much more controlled transfer window under new manager Scott Parker, having signed 15 players in the window this time last year. Although they do have a lot of carry over from these previous mistakes, the club are not in a predicament where they need to offload quickly for fees that are way below an individual’s worth.
Parker has time to decide what he wants to do with O’Shea, and if he is allowed to move back to the Premier League, then they can dictate the price that they want.
| Dara O’Shea Burnley Stats 2023/24 (FotMob) | |
|---|---|
| Appearances (Starts) | 33 (32) |
| Goals (Assists) | 3 (4) |
| Yellow Cards (Red Cards) | 5 (1) |
| Tackles Won | 51.3% |
| Duels Won | 60.3% |
| Recoveries | 140 |
Brentford and Ipswich offer different futures for O’Shea
Although it has looked likely that O’Shea would choose Brentford as his new club, Ipswich’s interest has not faded.
The projects at the two clubs are vastly different, given the fact that this is the Bees’ fourth consecutive campaign in the Premier League, while Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich were playing in League One just two seasons ago.
However, Brentford have struggled recently in the top flight, finishing 16th in 2023/24, below Everton who were given an eight-point deduction for breaking profit and sustainability rules.
The possible departure of Ivan Toney may mean tougher times ahead at the Gtech Community Stadium, while hopes are high in East Anglia.
Ipswich are very much the underdogs of the Premier League this season, but have had an impressive pre-season, signing high-quality young players who will grow as the year goes on.
Manager McKenna is also one of the very best in the country currently, and has masterminded back-to-back promotions with the team, taking them from the third tier to the upper echelons of the English game.
Gametime could potentially be more guaranteed at Ipswich, considering the lack of true top flight experience that their players have compared to Brentford, and this could ultimately be the decider for O’Shea.
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