The Irish transfer record was broken for the second summer in succession earlier this week, following this news we wanted to take a lookt the 11 most valuable Ireland footballers in the game at the moment.
Nathan Collins bettered his own mark of £21.5million with a £23million move to Brentford this week.
While he might possess the biggest price tag among Ireland players, is Collins the most valuable in the game at the moment?
That is something we wanted to look at, using Transfermarkt as a resource to look at what Irish star would command the biggest fee in the transfer market.
It worth noting that the fees mentioned are not necessarily what the players would actually cost if a club attempted to purchase them. Instead, it is calculated based on factors such as their age, contract situation, recent form, league, and current club.
With all of that in mind, here are the 11 most valuable Ireland footballers currently operating at the top level.
The most valuable Republic of Ireland Footballers
11. Tom Cannon (Everton) - €5million
Cannon may be currently involved in a saga surrounding his international future, but he still qualifies for this list as things stand.
The 20-year old got his first real taste of first team football last season, scoring eight goals in his final 12 Championship appearances on loan at Preston North End. He will be part of Everton's pre-season preparations and could be given an opportunity in the Premier League next season.
10. Michael Obafemi (Burnley) - €5million
Michael Obafemi recently moved to Burnley for a fee of of around £3.5million, meaning this valuation if not too far off.
The striker still has plenty of room to improve at 23-years old, although his preparations for next season have already been scuppered by a recent hamstring injury that is likely to see him miss the start of the campaign.
9. Dara O'Shea (Burnley) - €5million
Dara O'Shea is another player on this list that has moved in recent times, joining Burnley for £7million last month. That was quite the bargain for a defender of his quality, with the Dubliner set to play a pivotal role in the club's return to the Premier League this season.
At international level, he has already established himself as a key player for Ireland under Stephen Kenny. At 24-years old, his value is only likely to increase over the next couple of years.
8. Matt Doherty (Unattached) - €5million
Matt Doherty's valuation would probably be higher here were it not for his current contract situation. The defender has had a difficult 18 months or so at club level, although he is still a very talented player.
His next move at club level will be an important one in his efforts to get his career back on track.
7. Andrew Omobamidele (Norwich City) - €6million
This value is well short of what Andrew Omobamidele would actually fetch in a transfer market, with Norwich City having rejected an offer of around £20million for his services earlier this year.
Quite a few clubs are interested in signing him this summer, with the likes of Crystal Palace and AC Milan said to be keen on his services. Should he move clubs, the fee will certainly be well in excess of his valuation here.
6. John Egan (Sheffield United) - €6million
Despite now being 30-years old, John Egan is still considered the sixth most valuable Ireland player in the game at the moment. It's not difficult to see why, with the centre back a proven performer at both club and international level.
This valuation certainly doesn't represent how important he is at Sheffield United.
5. Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool) - €12million
This represents quite a jump in terms of price tag, with Caoimhín Kelleher the first player to reach an eight-figure valuation.
The Cork native could well leave Liverpool this summer, where he would be likely to command a fee a bit higher than the valuation above.
4. Josh Cullen (Burnley) - €13million
Having joined Burnley for £3million in the summer of 2022, Josh Cullen's value has already increased significantly.
He made major strides in his game during his two seasons at Anderlecht, going on to star in the Championship last season. There is no doubt that his development will continue in the Premier League during the upcoming campaign.
3. Gavin Bazunu (Southampton) - €15million
Gavin Bazunu's value has decreased slightly after his struggles at Southampton in recent months according to Transfermarkt, although you'd imagine that it will quickly bounce back once he returns to the side next season.
Still very young for a goalkeeper at 21-years old, it should increase significantly in the seasons ahead.
2. Nathan Collins (Brentford) - €22million
Nathan Collins has already broken the Irish transfer record on two occasions, most recently with his £23million transfer to Brentford earlier this week.
The 22-year old has everything you want from a modern centre back, both on and off the ball. It is highly unlikely that his move to the Community Stadium will be the final big money switch of his career.
1. Evan Ferguson (Brighton) - €30million
This man was always going to get the top spot.
Evan Ferguson was valued at only €600k by Transfermarkt at this point last season, with his remarkable debut campaign in the Premier League more than justifying the meteoric rise in value over the last 12 months. In fact, that change represents an increase of 4900% in value since July of 2022.
What's more, Brighton would not even consider an offer in the region of the €30million mentioned above. When he does eventually leave the club, it will likely be for a fee many times that amount.
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