The League of Ireland Premier Division has long been a breeding ground for top talents, with sides from other nations taking advantage of the lower cost of the players.
Premier League clubs have received some bargains from the Irish top flight in the past.
Whether it be Everton legend Seamus Coleman, who moved to Merseyside for just €70k or Roy Keane, who moved to Nottingham Forest for €200k and is widely seen as one of the greatest midfielders to have played in England.
In recent years, Irish clubs have started to demand more appropriate fees for their star players, as the prices of footballers globally continues to grow exponentially, highlighted by Mason Melia's recent move to Tottenham Hotspur for a new league record sale.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the top 10 highest sales from the League of Ireland Premier Division...
League of Ireland Premier Division record sales
10. Graham Burke to Preston (€350k)
Having left Ireland at just 17 years old to join Premier League side Aston Villa on a free transfer in 2010, Graham Burke returned to his homeland in 2017, leaving Notts County to join Shamrock Rovers.
In 2018, after a strong season in Ireland, which saw Burke score 16 goals and register six assists in 26 matches, Preston North End signed the striker for a fee in the region of €350k.
He would later return to Shamrock Rovers on a free transfer in 2021, where he still plays to this day as a four-time League of Ireland Premier Division champion.
9. Andy Lyons to Blackpool (€350k)
An Irish champion in 2022 with Shamrock Rovers, Andy Lyons made the move to join Blackpool in January 2023 for a fee in the region of €350k.
An Ireland youth international right back, Lyons has played 45 times for the Tangerines since his move despite being plagued by injury.
8. Romeo Akachukwu to Southampton (€375k)
Romeo Akachukwu joined Southampton from Waterford for around €375k, potentially rising to €500k with add ons, at just 17 years old, having made 18 appearances in the Irish top division.
To date he has made one senior appearance for the Saints, coming on as a second half substitute in an EFL Cup match against Cardiff in August 2024.
7. James Abankwah to Udinese (€400k)
21 year-old centre back James Abankwah joined Italian side Udinese from St Pats in 2022 for €400k, having been a part of a side which won the Irish Cup whilst he was just 18 years-old.
Since joining Udinese, he has had loan spells back with St Pats and also with Charlton Athletic.
Most recently, Abankwah spent a year on loan with Udinese's sister club Watford, making 19 appearances in the Championship for the Hornets.
6. James McClean to Sunderland (€420k)
One of the EFL's best ever players and with over 150 appearances in the Premier League to his name, James McClean has been one of the Irish top flight's best recent exports.
Spells at Sunderland, Wigan, West Brom and Stoke for combined transfer fees of around €10.74m highlight the ability that McClean possessed.
A polarising figure, McClean left Ireland in 2011 to join the Black Cats for €420k. He currently plays for Championship side Wrexham and was a part of two of their three consecutive promotions from the National League to the English second tier.
5. Naj Razi to Como (€450k)
18 year-old attacking midfielder Naj Razi left Shamrock Rovers in February 2024 to join ambitious Italian side Como for around €450k.
A highly rated Irish youth international, Razi had made just six first team appearances before his move to Como, where he is yet to make his senior debut.
4. Roy O'Donovan to Sunderland (€500k)
Journeyman striker Roy O'Donovan made the move away from his homeland in 2007 to join Sunderland for a fee in the region of €500k.
He failed to score in any of his 19 matches for the Black Cats over the course of his three years with the club, before leaving to join Coventry on a free transfer in 2010.
At 39 Roy O'Donovan is still playing, plying his trade down under for Newcastle Olympic, having first moved to Australia in 2017 to join Central Coast Mariners.
3. Gavin Bazunu to Manchester City (€500k)
A product of the Shamrock Rovers academy, Gavin Bazunu made the move to Manchester City in February 2019 at just 17 years-old for a then league record sale of €500k.
After successful loan spells with Rochdale and Portsmouth, Bazunu was sold by the Citizens for €14m in 2022, where he has since struggled following a poor first season.
Bazunu has gone on to cement himself as Ireland's number one goalkeeper, making 22 appearances for the Boys in Green since his debut in March 2021.
2. Liam Scales to Celtic (€600k)
Bazunu's record lasted just two years before being broken by Celtic centre back Liam Scales, who joined the Hoops for €600k from Shamrock Rovers in 2021.
A product of the UCD academy, Scales joined Shamrock Rovers in 2020 on a free transfer, before making the move to Glasgow just a year later.
Following a successful loan spell at Aberdeen, Scales has cemented himself as a first team regular at Celtic, making 96 appearances so far and winning three Scottish Premiership titles.
1. Mason Melia to Tottenham Hotspur (€1.80m)
The most recent transfer on this list and absolutely smashing the league record, Mason Melia moved to Tottenham Hotspur in the 2025 summer transfer window for €1.80m, three times the previous record.
With seven goals and three assists in 26 matches for St Pats at just 17 years-old, it is clear to see why Tottenham were willing to spend the big money to bring the youngster to North London.
He will officially join Spurs in January 2026, following the conclusion of the current Irish top flight season.
