Tottenham Hotspur beat rivals Arsenal, Man City to record-breaking wonderkid transfer with the future looking bright for North London club

Melia is believed to have been the subject of interest from Arsenal, while it is understood that Manchester City previously had the forward on trial, but he is now making the move to the Premier League with Tottenham.

Brexit rules prevent the 17-year-old from arriving at Spurs until January 2026, but it will be a record transfer fee for the League of Ireland, surpassing the £500,000 move that took Liam Scales to Celtic from Shamrock Rovers in August 2021.

"We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with League of Ireland side St Patrick's Athletic for the transfer of Mason Melia," read a statement on Tottenham's official website.

"The 17-year-old forward has agreed a deal that will run until 2031 and will join us in January, 2026."

Tottenham complete deal for League of Ireland teenager Melia

Melia has scored 10 goals and registered three assists in 54 appearances for St Patrick's Athletic in all competitions, including six appearances in the qualification rounds for the Conference League.

The forward has eight goals and two assists in 41 outings in the League of Ireland, meanwhile, and he will now be looking to make his mark in the Premier League.

St Patrick's Athletic manager Stephen Kenny has branded Melia "a terrific talent with an exceptional attitude".

"Mason is a terrific talent with an exceptional attitude and a real appetite for hard work," Kenny told the club's website.

"He has had a dramatic impact for one so young, his performances in our Conference League games playing as a central striker against high calibre opposition were of real quality.

"Mason has repeated those performances at international level for Ireland and has a bright future ahead for his country."

Will Melia be immediately involved with Tottenham's first team?

Having had a lot of first-team exposure at a relatively young age, it is expected that Melia will be a part of Tottenham's senior squad upon his arrival, although it may be the 2026-27 campaign before he is given the chance to make an impression.

Melia will spend another year in the League of Ireland, which will further aid his development, and having made his senior debut at the age of 15, he will have a lot of football under his belt by the time that he arrives in England.

There is believed to have been significant interest from the Premier League beyond just Arsenal and Man City, meaning that Spurs have pulled up a real coup by securing his services on a long-term contract.

Written by

Matt Law