Preston North End are reported to be the favourites to sign Dundalk winger Daryl Horgan, who Town boss Mick McCarthy travelled to Ireland to watch in action a fortnight ago.
According to the Irish Sun, Dundalk defender Andy Boyle has agreed in principle to move to Deepdale in January with Horgan set to follow him to the Lancashire club. McCarthy has previously dismissed reports linking Town with Boyle, who like Horgan was recently called into the Republic of Ireland squad for the first time but without winning a cap.
Horgan, the PFAI Player of the Year for 2016, is the hottest property in Irish football with Everton, Hull City, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Reading, PSV Eindhoven, Melbourne City, the Colorado Rapids, Sunderland, West Ham and Bolton Wanderers among the many clubs said to have been keeping tabs on him.
Speaking prior to making the trip to watch Dundalk, who recently confirmed their third successive Airtricity League Premier Division championship, lose 1-0 to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League in Dublin, McCarthy said he was anticipating a bidding war for Horgan’s signature. Given the stature of many of the clubs believed to be eyeing Horgan Preston winning the battle would be a surprise.
"It’s becoming a very public auction because whoever’s told whoever that I’m going out tonight, quite clearly the agent has told him so everybody else knows,” McCarthy said a fortnight ago.
"So, let’s make it as public as we can and they can get as much as they want. That might not be us if that’s the case.”
He added: "The more people that go out, the more interest there is, the more money it costs.
"He’s a free transfer, it’s not a bidding war to buy him, it’ll be a bidding war to pay him and to pay the agent.”