LAST UPDATE | 3 Jan 2022
1. Jeff Hendrick
Despite some improved displays for Ireland of late, it’s been a disappointing season for Hendrick at club level. The midfielder has made just three Premier League appearances all campaign, and each of those have been as a substitute. The outlook has not improved since new boss Eddie Howe took charge and so there is a growing sense that the Dubliner may benefit from a change of scenery.
2. Matt Doherty
Doherty has been largely out of favour at Spurs, with Emerson Royal and sometimes even Japhet Tanganga picked ahead of him. That situation is in stark contrast to his international fortunes, where he has started more games (18) than any other Ireland player during the Stephen Kenny era. At 29, Doherty should be at the peak of his powers. But having been routinely one of the best right wing-backs in the Premier League at Wolves, he has yet to start a single top-flight match this season, while making four appearances off the bench. Consequently, reports have suggested Tottenham are happy to offload the player this month, with Jose Mourinho’s Roma among the clubs being linked with Doherty.
3. Darren Randolph
The 34-year-old seems to be totally out of favour at West Ham, rarely even making the bench these days. The issues at club level have been the main reason for his omission from recent Ireland squads and with ostensibly no way back at the Hammers, Randolph badly needs a move to revive his career.
4. Adam Idah
Idah turns 21 next month and the lack of first-team football at Norwich remains an issue. He did complete 90 minutes in the recent 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace, but it was just his second start of the season and the Cork-born striker will likely find himself back on the bench once main forward Teemu Pukki is available again. Idah has been granted considerably more game time under Stephen Kenny at international level, but competition in the forward areas is likely to intensify in the coming years, so Idah could also find himself regularly on the bench at international level if his club fortunes do not improve over the next few months.
5. Daryl Horgan
Another player who has been an important squad member for Ireland of late. Horgan is not exactly one of the first names on the teamsheet, but Stephen Kenny has still been somewhat reliant on him. In the manager’s 20 matches so far, the Galway native has appeared in just over 50%, with six starts and five substitute appearances. Yet this game time may dwindle if he continues to struggle to get into the Wycombe side — the 29-year-old has started just eight of their 24 League One matches this season, and is another individual that might be better off at a club where he has a better chance of playing regularly.
6. Cyrus Christie
Christie spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest and he may have to make a similar move again, as he has just one EFL Cup appearance to his name at Fulham this season. Blackburn and Cardiff are among the clubs to have been linked with the player in recent days.
7. Caoimhín Kelleher
From a Liverpool perspective, you would imagine the Reds are more than happy to have a very talented goalkeeper like Kelleher as back-up to Alisson. Yet from a personal viewpoint, the Corkonian must surely feel he would be better served playing regular first-team football elsewhere, despite his recent game time in the Brazilian’s absence. 2021 saw Gavin Bazunu storm ahead of him in the Ireland pecking order, and the gap between the two could potentially widen if the 23-year-old continues to largely be held in reserve at Anfield.
8. Jamie McGrath
The one player included on this list who is likely to move up rather than down, McGrath has been a revelation since moving from Dundalk to St Mirren, with his performances in Scotland ultimately convincing Stephen Kenny to pick him for Ireland. He subsequently looked at home against the likes of Portugal and Serbia, which suggests the 25-year-old is more than capable of playing at a higher level. His current contract is up at the end of the season, with boss Jim Goodwin in October suggesting the club were expecting interest from “six or seven really big clubs”. The Scottish Premiership side consequently may be tempted to cash in on their star man this month rather than risk losing him for nothing in the summer.
9. Shane Long
The Tipperary native did recently start his first Premier League game in over a year for Southampton, but that was largely due to the club’s problems with Covid and injuries over the Christmas period. The 34-year-old appears unlikely to get much game time under Ralph Hasenhüttl and so a move similar to the one last season, where he spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Bournemouth, could be the most beneficial decision for all parties.
