Tom Cannon is set to become the most expensive Irish transfer of the January window after Sheffield United agreed a £10m fee with Leicester City.
New Foxes boss Ruud van Nistelrooy recalled the striker from his 12-goal loan spell at Stoke City but not to aid his ailing relegation fight but to bank cash for his transfer kitty.
Championship outfit Sunderland were interested in hatching a deal but their fellow promotion chases United, four points ahead in second, have landed their target, subject to personal terms being agreed.
Leicester forked out £7.5m to Everton for Cannon in August 2023 but injuries and competition during their march to the Championship title last season squeezed him to the margins. Everton will receive a 20% slice of the profit, as part of a sell-on clause.
Liverpool-born Cannon removed himself from the FAI fold after just one U21 cap amid interest from England 18 months ago but eventually committed, making his debut in the friendly defeat away to Portugal last June.
A resumption of his firepower form would catapult him the fore of Heimir Hallgrímsson’s thoughts, with a Nations League playoff against Bulgaria in March first up in a year that concludes with six World Cup qualifiers between September and November.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Mark Travers is also on the move to the second tier, continuing his talks with Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough over a loan deal until the end of the season.
Travers has made five Premier League starts for Bournemouth this season, most recently in the 2-2 draw at Chelsea last week, but is currently deputy to Kepa Arrizabalaga.
