Fulham agree record fee for Roy

A RECORD transfer fee for an eircom League player was agreed yesterday as Cork City finally agreed terms with Fulham for striker Roy O’Donovan.

Details of the cash windfall for the Leeside club were not released, but the two-and-a-half year deal is expected to rise as high as €750,000.

In a deal welcomed by Cork City’s Official Supporters Club as “great business”, the transfer will be agreed today after both sides reached a verbal agreement.

It is believed Cork will pocket €400,000 initially and an extra €350,000 in appearance related add-ons and with the cash windfall, the Leesiders want to bring in four new players in a push for a League and FAI Cup double.

O’Donovan will travel to London next week to conduct a medical and put pen to paper on a deal which City boss Damien Richardson has termed as “fair”.

But what will come as great news for City fans is that, under the terms of the agreement, O’Donovan will be loaned back to City for the remainder of the present season, which will end in late November.

O’Donovan will then wave a final goodbye to City fans, who have seen the 21-year-old Dublin Hill man notch 20 goals for the Rebel Army so far this season.

The player, who previously had a spell with Coventry City, was delighted with the news of his impending move but determined to see out his final months at Turners Cross on a winning note in order to repay the club, the fans and his team-mates.

“I am delighted that the matter has been all sorted out — Cork City have been brilliant to me since I came home. I would like to repay everybody by helping them to silverware at the end of the Premier Division season,” said O’Donovan.

“The fee is a record for an eircom League player and we are happy at that,” added Richardson. “But a fundamental part of the whole package is that Fulham are prepared to allow Roy see out his contract in Cork to the end of November. We are losing a player but also retaining a player. I think it is a very fair deal. Obviously we are delighted at that arrangement.”

Richardson has also said that the club are in the market for three to four new players before the transfer window closes at the end of August.

“I sat down with Brian Lennox and we are looking at bringing three 3 or four 4 more players in. We are looking in England and Eastern Europe, so hopefully something will happen there,” said Richardson.

On the O’Donovan deal, Richardson added: “The respect Fulham have shown to Cork City is perhaps the most pleasing aspect of it. It’s an indication of the long road we’ve travelled over the last couple of seasons whereby we are now getting that sort of respect and appreciation.

“Normally English clubs want to come and pay as little as possible for your best players. This time we’ve received great respect and understanding from Fulham who realise the importance of Roy to us and are quite willing to loan him back and facilitate us. That’s in Fulham’s great favour as well.

“The three parties — Roy, Cork City and Fulham are all gaining immeasurably out of the arrangement and I think the next step is to get the deal ratified, get Roy over for his medical early next week and we can then get on with the rest of the season. Roy can look forward to, hopefully, a very successful career.”

Meanwhile other suitors, Southend admitted defeat in their bid to attract the player. The League One side’s chairman Ron Martin had been interested in the 21-year-old for more than a year, but Martin finally conceded defeat to the London outfit.

“We’ve been trying for a long time to bring Roy to Roots Hall but it looks like we’ve failed. I believe he could have been something special for this football club.”

Cork travel to St Pats tonight with O’Donovan rated at 50/50 with a hamstring strain which saw him miss last week’s 0-0 draw with Drogheda.

Strike partner John O’Flynn is definitely out, also with a hamstring strain, though winger Liam Kearney hopes to have recovered from a calf injury to make his return.

Pat’s remain without Joseph Ndo, Gary O’Neill and Colm Foley while defender Stephen Paisley is a doubt having injured his back in Monday’s draw with Shamrock Rovers. Manager John McDonnell has midfielder Alan Kirby available again following suspension.