In recent years, League of Ireland clubs have become more savvy when it comes to selling their brightest young talents to teams abroad.
In the past, such players would often leave for free or nominal fees, meaning the club got little financial benefit from the time they had invested in developing that footballer.
However, this is changing.
Not only are League of Ireland clubs largely insisting on sell-on clauses (something Bohemians benefitted from when they pocketed a rumoured £1.5million after Matt Doherty's move from Wolves to Spurs), but they are also ensuring that they receive a decent fee when a player does opt to move on.
Waterford have provided one such example of this dynamic in action.
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League of Ireland starlet set for big money move to England
The Irish Independent are reporting that 17-year old Waterford starlet Romeo Akachukwu is set to join Southampton this summer, with the League of Ireland club securing a fee worth up to €500,000 for his services.
Akachukwu had drawn interest from some of the biggest clubs in England over the last year or so, although the promise of a route to first team football ultimately gave Southampton the edge. He is set to complete the move this summer.
The teenager is widely regarded as one of the brightest emerging talents in Irish football, having caught the eye at last years U17 European Championships.
What a goal from Romeo Akachukwu to put more gloss on Ireland's performance against the Welsh
Ireland 3-0 Wales #IRLU17 #U17Euros #COYBIG
📺 https://t.co/Sfewj1LU8N
📱https://t.co/kT6PI6JaYn pic.twitter.com/hUYaazfVXV— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) May 20, 2023
The attacking midfielder made 20 appearances during Waterford's League of Ireland First Division promotion campaign last time out, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory over Athlone Town during the play-offs. He came off the bench during their season opener against Shelbourne on Friday night and has also made the move up to the Ireland U19 setup in recent times.
Akachukwu is certainly a name to keep a close eye on over the next couple of years. It will be interesting to see how quickly he can progress at Southampton.
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