Red Devils zone in on Ireland star O’Sullivan
MANCHESTER UNITED are hoping to sign Ireland centurion Denise O’Sullivan this summer, in an effort to bolster their midfield ahead of the next WSL season.
The midfielder will be out of contract with North Carolina Courage in the United States, the club she currently captains, once the National Women’s Soccer League season ends in November and would be available on a free transfer in January.
But Mail Sport understands that United are so keen to bring O’Sullivan on board that they are expected to make a bid during the summer. The Red Devils are currently fifth as the WSL season draws to a close and see the talented midfield schemer as the sort of player who could help bridge the gap to the big three of Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
The 30-year-old Cork native, a lifelong United fan, reached a personal milestone with the Courage last weekend as she became the first player to clock 10,000 NWSL minutes with the club and reached her 150th regular season game. North Carolina have offered O’Sullivan a new contract, but it is thought that she is open to a move.
A number of clubs across
Europe were interested in signing O’Sullivan last winter, ahead of the final year of her contract, but she remained in the US, where she has won two NWSL titles, two Challenge Cups and three NWSL Shields during her seven years in North Carolina.
O’Sullivan previously had a loan spell in England with Brighton during the 2020 Covid season, a move that was facilitated to ensure she was available to Ireland during the Euro 2021 qualifiers, as travelling back and forth to America would have meant undergoing periods of quarantine. The gifted playmaker won her 100th cap for Ireland in a pre-World Cup friendly against the US in Austin in April of last year. She played all three group games during the country’s first involvement in a major tournament, although cut a frustrated figure at times in Australia, playing in a deep-lying role. From Knocknaheeny in Cork, O’Sullivan started her career with Wilton United before spells with Peamount United and Cork City. She enjoyed three successful years with Glasgow City between 2013 and 2016 before making the move across the Atlantic to join Houston Dash. In 2017, she made the switch to the Courage but also had loan spells with Canberra United and Western Sydney Wanderers in the women’s A-League.