MLS side Charlotte make six-figure bid to sign Shamrock Rovers star Jack Byrne

Jack Byrne has been a standout performer for Shamrock Rovers. Image: Sportsfile.

Daniel McDonnell

Major League side Charlotte have made a move to try and sign Jack Byrne from Shamrock Rovers before the US transfer window closes on Monday.

Charlotte are long-term admirers of Byrne as their head coach Christian Lattanzio worked with the Dubliner when he was a young player at Manchester City.

They looked at the option of signing the playmaker in late 2021 when he parted company with APOEL Nicosia after a troubled stay in Cyprus.

At that juncture, Charlotte were an expansion club preparing to enter the MLS the following year and Lattanzio was their assistant boss.

A deal failed to materialise and Byrne decided to return to Ireland for a second spell at Rovers, where he contributed to league success last year without quite hitting top form.

By his own admission, injuries affected his performance and his enjoyment of a campaign where Rovers broke into group stage football in Europe.

After a clear run through pre-season, Byrne has looked back to his old self this term and Charlotte – who have kept tabs on his progress – have tested the waters with a six-figure bid for the in-form midfielder.

The Ireland international is under contract with the Hoops for the remainder of this season and is understood to be quite settled back home in Dublin.

However, Charlotte would be in a position to pay a considerably higher wage and offer Byrne a route into the MLS, a league which he has previously spoken about as an attractive option.

Byrne will play for the four in a row chasing Hoops in Friday’s Dublin derby against St Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park.

But that is expected to be followed by talks that will determine where his future lies.

Earlier this month, Byrne was asked if he could see himself moving away again.

“I’m not saying I want to leave or go away but I know that in football, you never know,” he said.

“I could have a bad six months here and Shamrock Rovers might not want me. I’m not bigger than the club. It’s not one of those things where I’m thinking ‘If I do well, I’ll be out of here’ – it’s not that, I love the club, I love playing here but I’ve also been around the game long enough to know that situations change so you’ve got to be ready for whatever presents itself really.”