Bohs signs former Premier League striker, Wicklow wonderkid chooses Spurs, and the first Irish man in the Turkish Super League; Football’s January Transfer recap from an Irish perspective.
Lys Mousset, Mason Melia, and Festy Ebosele are three players who arguably made the most eye-catching and interesting moves of the January transfer window.
Rumours started to circulate about Mousset being on trial with League of Ireland side Bohemians at the beginning of January. Come the end of the month, last season’s 8th place finishers had officially announced the signing of former Sheffield United and Bournemouth ace Lys Mousset, a fortnight before his 29th birthday.
The Frenchman left the UK in 2022 after six years in England; since then, he has been between three clubs and played less than 20 games of football. This move attracted international attention as it’s not every day an ex-Premier League striker, once with lots of potential, signs for a League of Ireland club. Mousset will be hoping to get his career back on track in Phibsborough, and Bohs will hope he is the answer to their prayers to avoid a relegation scare once again, having been on the brink in 8th last season.
After a big transfer into the League of Ireland, a major departure was also seen over in Inchicore with St. Pats’ wonderkid Mason Melia making a record-breaking move to London, joining Spurs. Despite interest from Manchester and Milan, the teenager from Newtown Mount Kennedy in County Wicklow joins Spurs for two million euros with add-ons of up to four million euros, with Pat’s receiving 20% of the fee if he was to be sold by Tottenham. Melia is no new kid on the block, having made his professional debut and becoming the youngest ever League of Ireland goalscorer at the age of 15 in 2023. Melia bagged six times in the league for Pat’s last season and has time to add more to his tally at the club as he remains in Ringsend for the majority of 2025. He will begin his journey in North London at the start of 2026.
Enniscorthy native Festy Ebosele made history as he became the first-ever senior Irish international male player to sign for a Turkish Super League club. The 22-year-old now makes the move to Istanbul Basaksehir, who were coincidentally given a run for their money by Pat’s in a Conference League qualifier, which the former eventually won back in August.
Ebosele’s loan spell at Watford was cut short as he was recalled by parent club Udinese in Italy amid transfer interest, subsequently followed by his move to Turkey. The wingback attracted Irish fans’ attention with his superb display and assist in Ireland’s victory in Helsinki in October.
In other transfer news, Ireland international stars Evan Ferguson and Gavin Bazunu look to gain more game time at club level as the pair make loan moves until June. Ferguson jumped to London from Brighton, signing for West Ham, with Bazunu moving to Belgium’s Standard Liege from Southampton for the rest of the season.
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