The unusually short amount of time between the end of this season and the start of the next will have an impact on the volume of transfer business conducted in the coming months, but it is still likely that we will see a number of Irish players switch clubs.
Some are out of favour at their current teams, while others have likely played their way into a move up the footballing ladder. You will also have a number of younger players who move on loan.
Below we have predicted eight Irish players who will move on permanent deals this summer, and there are a few big names included.
Jeff Hendrick
We're cheating a little bit here, considering that we already know Jeff Hendrick will be signing elsewhere in the coming weeks. The midfielder is available on a free transfer, and while he has been linked with the likes of AC Milan and Roman, but there has been no update in the past few weeks.
Maybe clubs are waiting until the end of the season to announce new deals, but a move abroad becomes less likely the longer this goes on.
We would expect him to sign for another Premier League club, with Sheffield United having been linked.
Scott Hogan
Scott Hogan is all but certain to leave Aston Villa this summer. He started like a house on fire at Birmingham City, although his form has dipped a bit since the season's restart.
He would have no shortage of suitors in the Championship having proven to be a reliable goalscorer at that level in recent years. The striker should also be available for a nominal fee.
Birmingham City could look to make his move a permanent one, although the player himself may be eyeing a move to a club with promotion aspirations next season.
Ryan Manning
Ryan Manning has been somewhat of a revelation this season at QPR, so much so that he may have played his way out of Loftus Road. The Galway native has only one year remaining on his contract, and with there being little indication that a new deal will be agreed, his club could look to cash in this summer.
This goal from Ryan Manning though #QPR pic.twitter.com/7fJvpEit4O
— Charlie Ashcroft (@charlieashcroft) March 7, 2020
They would no shortage of interested parties should they do so. Wolves have previously been linked with a move for the player and their wing back system would be an ideal fit. Newcastle and Southampton are also thought to be monitoring him.
A Premier League move is certainly on the cards.
Ronan Curtis
There is very little chance that Ronan Curtis will be at Portsmouth next season. Any possibility of that seemingly ended with their failure to secure promotion from League One, with the Ireland international having proven that he is a cut above that level.
The player himself has admitted he turned down offers from higher up the football pyramid over the past year or so, and they will surely come again in the coming weeks.
Brentford have been linked with Curtis today, and they would seem an ideal fit as a club on the up that play an exciting brand of football. Blackburn and Reading also made enquiries about his availability in January.
Harry Arter
Having spent the last two seasons out on loan, you would imagine Harry Arter will leave Bournemouth on a permanent basis this summer.
He has had a very strong season at Fulham, helping them in their quest for promotion. They look likely to be heading into a play-off campaign over the next few weeks.
Fulham could well look to sign him on a permanent basis this summer, with Arter having only 12 months left on his contract at Bournemouth. Either way, we don't see him being at The Vitality Stadium at the start of next season.
Josh Cullen
Josh Cullen has had an excellent season at Charlton, but you'd imagine it is unlikely to be enough to play his way into the West Ham team. At 24-years old, he now needs some long-term certainty in his career.
A move to the Championship seems likely and he would not be out of place at a club who were pushing for promotion. You would assume West Ham will try to get some sort of fee for Cullen this summer, with the player's contract running out in 2021.
Shane Duffy
This one may come as a bit of a shock, but does Shane Duffy really have a future at Brighton?
Graham Potter has made it clear that he will no longer be first choice, and with Ben White returning from a loan spell at Leeds this summer, he could be even further down the pecking order next season.
Duffy is an excellent defender, but his perceived deficiencies on the ball mean he is likely the odd man out at the Amex under the current manager.
There would be no shortage of Premier League interest in him should he choose to move on. The likes of West Ham, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, and Leeds United will all likely be in the market for a centre back this summer.
Now could be the right time for Duffy to move on, but he must go somewhere where he knows he will be first choice.
Keiren Westwood
Another player all but certain to move on this summer, Westwood has been frozen out at Sheffield Wednesday this season.
Probably the most consistent goalkeeper in the Championship over the last decade, he will attract plenty of interest despite turning 36-years old in a few months.
Any Championship club who need a goalkeeper would be wise to sign him, or maybe the player would fancy a backup role at a Premier League club in the winter of his career.
