Cork City goalkeeper David Harrington set for a move to England with Everton amongst the favourites to sign him

DAVID HARRINGTON looks set to depart Cork City sooner or later with English Premier League side Everton amongst several clubs interested in the goalkeeper. 

Harrington’s contract expires with City at the end of the season, and it is believed that the Toffees are preparing a bid for the 22-year-old.

Everton are not the only club keen on capturing the signature of the young goalkeeper with clubs from the Championship and League One also admirers of Harrington. 

With the deadline for the English transfer window shutting on Thursday, 1 September, 11pm, clubs will have to act quickly if they want to capture Harrington before then.

City will be reluctant to sell a player that has started all of their 26 league games this campaign, in which he has kept 14 clean sheets. 

Harrington has been pivotal to the club’s promotion challenge and would be a significant loss. 

However, although the club could end up selling Harrington in the next week, they could impose that the player is loaned back to City for the remainder of the season, meaning that Friday’s Extra.ie FAI Cup second round fixture against Derry City would not be the last we see of Harrington in a City jersey.

Interest from clubs across the water in Harrington will come as no surprise after the keepers’ displays in a City jersey this campaign. 

This has been the 22-year-old’s first season as the club’s number one and he has earned many plaudits including being called into the Republic of Ireland U20 and U21 squads.

Harrington has all the attributes that clubs in England will look for in a goalkeeper. He is tall. 

He has displayed great bravery b coming for crosses. He is comfortable with the ball at his feet, and on the few occasions he has been called upon to make a save; he has demonstrated excellent shot-stopping capabilities.

Were Harrington to make the switch to Everton, he would be competing with and learning from keepers such as England international Jordan Pickford, former Chelsea and AC Milan stopper Asmir Begovic and ex-Liverpool keeper Andrew Lonergan.

However, it could be that Harrington is signed for Everton’s development squad at this time rather than for the first-team. 

Were the keeper to be recruited by the Toffees, he would be the second City player to make the switch from the Rebel Army to a Premier League club in a year, with Harrington’s former teammate Jake O’Brien joining Crystal Palace last summer.

As of now, no official bids have been made for the keeper but with several days remaining in the English transfer window, it is expected that an offer will be made for Harrington before the window shuts on 1 September.