Breaking News:Celtic and Brighton race to sign Mason Melia
Celtic and Brighton are in the driving seat to sign St Patrick’s sensation Mason Melia, sources have told Football Insider.
Man City and Everton have previously held strong interest in the 16-year-old, but Celtic and Brighton have moved ahead of the pack and are preparing formal offers.
The centre-forward had a trial period with the Premier League champions last year, but no contract offer came off the back of the spell.
Football Insider revealed in March that Everton were pushing to win the race for his signature, but no breakthrough was reached after talks over a deal.
Melia remains one of the most highly-rated youngsters coming out of Ireland and has impressed for the Dublin-based outfit since making his debut in 2023.
Celtic and Brighton lead race to sign St Patrick’s gem Mason Melia
At just 16 years old, Melia has already made 43 senior appearances for St Patrick’s Athletic, scoring seven goals and providing three assists.
That includes two appearances in the Europa Conference League qualifiers this summer, while he featured 28 times across all competitions last season.
He has also represented the Republic of Ireland age-group sides from Under-15s to Under-19s levels, attracting international recognition for his displays.
Brighton have had success with previous moves for players from the League of Ireland brought through their academy ranks.
The likes of Andrew Moran, Aaron Connolly and Evan Ferguson have progressed through the youth sides and featured for the first team in recent years, with Melia tipped to do the same.
Celtic, meanwhile, have strong roots in Ireland and are looking to pull off something of a coup if they can beat English rivals to the 16-year-old’s signature.
Current Ireland internationals Mikey Johnston, Bosun Lawal and Liam Scales are currently on the books at Parkhead and represent a clear pathway for the young Irishman.
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