The Pitch: Mason Melia deal must end deliberate deflation of Irish transfer market
The Pitch understands that Mason Melia had a three-year deal in place with St Patrick’s Athletic, which consequently let potential suitors know from the outset that if they wanted to buy, there must be a cost.
Mason Melia will join Spurs in a deal initially worth nearly €2m. Pic: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
Imagine for a moment that the Irish transfer market is a normal marketplace - a stock exchange of talent where players are traded and values achieved which accurately reflect the price of each asset.
A bit like the Mason Melia deal to Tottenham Hotspur - a transfer worth an initial €1.92m (£1.6m) rising to €3.84m (£3.2m), should KPI objectives of caps and club appearances be achieved over the lifetime of his 2026 to 2031 contract.
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