Ipswich Town appears to be leading the race to sign Burnley centre-back Dara O’Shea, with Wolves struggling to meet Burnley’s valuation, according to Alex Crook.
Both Ipswich and Wolves have shown interest in O’Shea, who has become a sought-after player following his strong performances in the Premier League with Burnley.
O’Shea first made a name for himself in the Championship with West Brom before proving his abilities at the top level, making him an attractive target for Premier League clubs.
Initially, it seemed that Brentford was close to securing O’Shea’s services, but recent reports indicate that Ipswich Town is now in the strongest position to sign him. The financial gap between Wolves and Burnley has left Ipswich with a clearer path to make their move.
O’Shea, who joined Burnley in the summer of 2023 and still has three years remaining on his contract, is expected to command a significant transfer fee if he leaves the club.
As the summer transfer window nears its end, clubs like Ipswich Town are eager to finalize their squads in preparation for the upcoming Premier League season.
Ipswich is particularly focused on strengthening their defense to ensure they remain competitive in the top flight, and they are willing to invest heavily to achieve this goal.
While Burnley would prefer to keep O’Shea, recognizing his leadership qualities and defensive capabilities, it is understood that he may seek a return to the Premier League.
O’Shea has already demonstrated that he can excel at this level, and a move to Ipswich or another Premier League club would allow him to continue his development and establish himself as a regular in the top tier.
Should Ipswich or another club successfully lure O’Shea away, it will be interesting to see how Burnley responds, especially with limited time left in the transfer window.
Burnley has several other center-backs on their roster, including Ameen Al-Dakhil, Maxime Esteve, Jordan Beyer, Hjalmar Ekdal, Hannes Delcroix, and Bashir Humphreys, but they may need to reassess their options if multiple players depart. Ultimately, Burnley will need to make quick decisions to maintain a solid defensive lineup for their Championship campaign.
