There are plenty of financial winners coming out of Manchester City selling Gavin Bazunu to Southampton for €14 million.
Shamrock Rovers receive another seven-figure windfall following the €500,000 initially received from City for the teenager’s move to Manchester in 2018 before a six-figure sum was reportedly pocketed due to Bazunu’s international caps haul.
The income enhances Rovers’ ability to build a squad capable of reaching the Europa Conference League group stages this year but it also sets a benchmark for League of Ireland clubs when it comes to negotiating fees for Irish talent with British and European clubs.
The current five-year deal could see City eventually receive €18.5 million, while the Premier League champions have seemingly included an option to bring Bazunu back to the Ethiad if his steady upward development enters the stratosphere.
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Southampton recognise the value of capturing a 20-year-old who is already established in the Ireland team. Winning all 10 caps in 2021, his highlights include saving a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty before breathtaking stops as Olivier Thill in Luxembourg and Fulham’s prolific Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic seemed certain to score during last year’s World Cup qualifiers.
“Gavin is already an international goalkeeper, which is very rare for his age,” said Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl. “He is a goalkeeper with a very modern style of play, comfortable in the build-up phase, who has developed physically through some very important loan moves early in his career.
“We believe he has tremendous potential to improve and will give us great competition for places in the goalkeeping department.”
Bazunu will aim to dislodge one cap England international Alex McCarthy, who missed most of last season at Saint Mary’s with hamstring issues, but competition is nothing new for the Dubliner as Liverpool’s Caoimhín Kelleher put pressure on his Ireland place with an impressive performance in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw against Ukraine.
On loan from City to Portsmouth last season, Bazunu was voted the club’s players’ player of the campaign despite Pompey finishing 10th in League One.
Ireland manager Stephen Kenny will arguably profit from having three goalkeepers playing Premier League football this season as Mark Travers also helped Bournemouth secure promotion.
“I feel like it’s a place I can come and develop and learn my game,” said Bazunu. “The biggest thing is opportunity – the fact that I can come here and have a chance to play regular football. Just to be given that opportunity to fight for my place is the biggest thing that I could’ve asked for.”
Plenty of others are claiming a small piece of the Dubliner’s development with Ashford College, where Rovers funded his Leaving Certificate studies, sending “heartiest congratulations” on the new deal for a “great guy and model student”.
