Nottingham Forest interested in signing Cork City teenager Cathal O’Sullivan

Nottingham Forest have their eyes on Cork City playmaker Cathal O’Sullivan with the Premier League looking at bringing him in this summer.

The club went as far as sending former Republic of Ireland international Andy Reid to Turner’s Cross to look at the teenager during a Premier Division game with Shamrock Rovers at the start of May.

The two-time European Cup winners are just one club with eyes on O’Sullivan, who turned 18 in March. City have to sell this summer if they are to receive a transfer fee as the forward is on a professional contract that is set to expire in November.

The club are well aware of this, with the current question being how much instead of if there will be a move abroad.

Clancy spoke about this in a recent interview following a 2-1 victory over Waterford on Easter Monday at Turner’s Cross.

“It’s naturally going to happen,” the City manager said after seeing O’Sullivan set up Kitt Nelson to score a dramatic winner at the death in the Munster derby.

TALENT

“We’re not at a stage as an industry in this country where we can hold onto players of that talent. It’s the same with Mason Melia and hopefully Stephen Bradley doesn’t take offence when I say Michael Noonan will more than likely leave at some stage too.

“Mason’s deal has broken the ceiling for transfer fees. For us to create that industry for academies and facilities, it needs to be built on the back of those transfers.

“We’re not thinking of that anyway. 

From a footballer’s point of view, as a young lad who gets a good move, I wouldn’t want to go back where I was."

O’Sullivan’s development has been closely tracked since he emerged from the Underage National Leagues and into the Cork City senior team at the tail end of the 2023 season.

The forward first appeared in the Munster Senior Cup final against Cobh Ramblers at Turner’s Cross and he fully broke into the squad under Tim Clancy during the First Division winning campaign in 2024.

O’Sullivan announced himself by scoring his first senior goal during a 2-0 victory over Bray Wanderers that March.

The forward went on to hit the back of the net three times in three games, a run that included a brace against the Seagulls at the Carlisle Grounds O’Sullivan continued this run of form by hitting the winner against Finn Harps last July at Turner’s Cross.

With that came a professional contract and a place in the PFAI First Division Team of the Year.

The Glanmire native finished off the season with a First Division winners medal and a spot on the SSE Airtricity Men's First Division Team of the Year.