VINCENT KOMPANY HAS got his man.
Dara O’Shea will travel to Burnley tomorrow ahead of a medical with the newly-promoted Premier League club.
Once finalised, the West Bromwich Albion captain will put pen to paper on a deal that has been close to completion for more than six weeks.
Four other clubs in England were monitoring O’Shea’s situation, while interest from abroad was strongest in Italy with Serie A sides also keen to try and take advantage of West Brom’s financial situation.
When their most recent accounts were published in April, the top brass explained how they needed to sell players in order to pay the bills.
O’Shea only signed a new contract with the club last summer when Burnley first showed interest following the sale of Nathan Collins to Wolves. As one of their most valuable assets, he was always going to be available for the right price.
Crucially, those fresh terms also included a release clause.
However, while O’Shea was on the radar for several clubs none of them acted with the same purpose as Burnley – and that is down to Kompany. He has ensured the Premier League new boys jumped the line as others dallied, and his influence has extended beyond those in his own club’s boardroom.
While he has yet to meet O’Shea face-to-face for talks, Kompany has spoken to the defender twice to outline his plans for the season ahead.
The Belgian made sure this was a deal his bosses got done early, while his enthusiasm for the challenge that is to come in England’s top flight and how he wants O’Shea to fit into a defence that will demand he plays on the front foot and with intensity, made Turf Moor the Dubliner’s favoured destination.
The clubs were in negotiations before O’Shea joined Ireland’s training camp in Bristol at the end of May and had it not been for the 10 days spent in Turkey prior to the Euro 2024 qualifying doubler header with Greece and Gibraltar this transfer would most likely have been finalised by now.
Burnley have actually been back in pre-season since Monday 5, June.
The capture of O’Shea was a priority for Kompany, a player he feels already has the capabilities and characteristics of someone who could play for a club in the top six to eight of the Premier League.
The 24-year-old is viewed by his new manager as a leader, someone capable of being a strong, commanding presence in the dressing room given he wore the armband for the Baggies after emerging from their academy.
But there is room for improvement, and Kompany’s plan was also laid out in detail for the player, something which has only added to his excitement about the move.
Carlos Corberan, the West Brom manager, is understood to be devastated about losing his captain, a player who had played every minute of every game for him in the Championship before his season was cut short with a knee injury at the end of March.
But there is also an acceptance on the Spaniard’s part about the opportunity O’Shea now has, and such is the nature of the relationship between Corberan and Kompany the two managers are understood to have already chatted directly about the impending transfer.
Before returning to his family home in the English midlands last night following his commitments with Ireland, O’Shea joined a handful of his international teammates for a round of golf.
John Egan, Troy Parrott, Adam Idah and Jayson Molumby were his playing partners.
The latter was O’Shea’s club teammate last season too, another who impressed under Corberan and who may well now be on the radar of others looking to make the most of a club that is vulnerable in a volatile transfer market.
Egan, who started alongside O’Shea against Gibraltar on Monday, will also return to the Premier League with Sheffield United following their automatic promotion.
But it was Burnley who went up as champions, playing the kind of vibrant, exciting football which Kompany now hopes O’Shea can help implement in the Premier League.
