Nathan Collins set to join Wolves this week for record fee

RECORD BREAKER: Nathan Collins will become the most expensive Irish player ever when his move to Wolves is confirmed this week. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Ireland international Nathan Collins will become a Wolves player this week after Burnley accepted a bid of £20m upfront with a further £5m due in add-ons.

Once the 21-year-old agreed personal terms on Monday and a medical was arranged for today, the deal broke the transfer fee record for an Ireland senior international.

That belonged to Robbie Keane for his brief £19m switch from Tottenham Hotspur to Liverpool in 2008, two million more than Chelsea paid Blackburn Rovers to purchase Damien Duff five years earlier.

Collins was always likely to remain in the Premier League once Burnley’s relegation was confirmed.

He’d been one of the few bright spots over a dreadful campaign, 19 appearances in his first season following a £12m transfer from Stoke City confirming his tag as one of the division’s finest young centre-backs.

That was cemented by his progress on the international front. He managed to nudge his way into the most competitive area for places in the Ireland team with a debut last October against Qatar, ending the season as a cornerstone of Stephen Kenny’s team and grabbing a splendid first goal to boot against Ukraine.

Collins had interest from several clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Leicester City and Leeds United. That Wolves boss Bruno Lage views the Dubliner as a direct replacement for the departed Romain Saiss offers the opportunity of going straight into their set-up. The rest of their pre-season takes in friendlies in Spain and Portugal.