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Crystal Palace lining up move for Cork City teenager Franco Umeh

Franco Umeh (left) in action for Cork City. Image: Sportsfile. Expand

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Franco Umeh (left) in action for Cork City. Image: Sportsfile.

Franco Umeh (left) in action for Cork City. Image: Sportsfile.

Franco Umeh (left) in action for Cork City. Image: Sportsfile.

Daniel McDonnell Twitter Email

Crystal Palace are expected to make a move for Cork City teenager Franco Umeh.

A delegation from the Premier League club watched Umeh, who turned 18 earlier this week, in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Dundalk at Abbotstown today.

The versatile attacker broke into Colin Healy's first-team plans last term and was on the fringes of their promotion-winning squad.

His career path has moved in line with Mark O'Mahony, a team-mate with both club and country, who agreed a move to Brighton in this January window.

O'Mahony and Umeh have represented Ireland together at underage ranks, with both players on the score-sheet for Tom Mohan's U-19 side in last September's European Championship qualifiers.

Now Umeh has been lined up to follow O'Mahony across the water with Palace ready to firm up their interest.

Dubliner Paddy McCarthy is manager of the Crystal Palace U-21 side and they have shopped in the Irish market in recent years, bringing in Jake O'Brien from Cork City and Killian Phillips from Drogheda United.

Umeh's younger brother Jaden was Cork City's U-14 player of the year last term and is viewed as a prospect for the future too.

Brexit rules mean he cannot go to England until he is 18, but Benfica are tracking the youngster.

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