Rising star David Dunne switches to Monaco from Cork City

Cork City teenager David Dunne is set to sign for French giants Monaco.

The teenager will move to the French principality after being named League of Ireland MU15 Player of the Year in 2024, and making his senior debut at Turner's Cross a few months before his 16th birthday.

Dunne’s future has been subject to much speculation and it follows a seven-day trial with Real Sociedad last summer.

That was in the middle of a transformative season for the forward, who came through at Rockmount AFC and goes to Le Chéile Secondary School, Ballincollig.

Dunne first made his name known locally by helping The Mount win the CSL U13 Local Cup final in 2021 at Turner’s Cross. He is currently working with the Cork City U17s and the U20s, in addition to training with the senior team on occasion.

The striker started the year with three goals and two assists and two different age groups.

Dunne was recently included in the first-team squad for a League of Ireland Premier Division match with Drogheda United at Turner’s Cross.

The forward failed to make an appearance on the pitch as Tim Clancy’s side played out a 1-1 draw with last season’s cup winners.

Dunne is the latest teenager to move to the continent under the transfer rules brought on by Brexit.

This situation means that young players have to wait until they are 18 to sign for a club in the United Kingdom, but they can join a team in an EU nation once they turn 16.

The old situation paved the way for players like Adam Idah and Caoimhin Kelleher to travel abroad after playing in the Cork Youth Leagues, and that practise was disrupted following the 2016 vote.

The Brexit generation started emerging in 2021, with Cathal Heffernan leading the pack after his journey to AC Milan from Cork City.

Matthew Moore followed, with the midfielder joining Hoffenheim during the summer of 2023.

Mark O’Mahony and Franco Umeh went a different path as the strikers went to England to join Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace after their 18th birthdays.

Dunne will be going to a team best known for reaching the 2004 UEFA Champions League semi-finals and winning Ligue 1 in 2017.

SUPERSTAR

The club are perennially challengers in France, and their list of former players includes superstar Kylian Mbappe. The winger was a member of the Monaco team that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2017 and narrowly lost to Juventus.

Monaco have just finished their UEFA Youth League campaign, and they reached the Round of 32 of the underage version of the Champions League.

The club were beaten by Sporting Lisbon, and that followed memorable victories over Barcelona and Benfica.