Cork City defender Sean McLoughlin is on the verge of a switch to Champions League runners-up Liverpool according to a report in Team Talk.

It is understood that Merseyside clubs Liverpool and Everton are leading the chase to sign League of Ireland centre-back while Newcastle, Sheffield, Preston North End and Middlesbrough have also shown their interest in the 21-year-old.

McLoughlin has been the subject of a meteoric rise in the last 12 months. It was only last summer that he signed for champions Cork City after impressing while playing for University College Cork (UCC).

“When I joined UCC I think that I started to focus more on my football. I sorted out my diet, got into the gym and worked hard in training. UCC really was a great place for me to play. It has some of the best facilities in the country, which gives players every chance to improve,” McLoughlin told Pundit Arena back in March. “We were playing Munster Senior League Premier football and I think that playing against men every week tested me in a way that maybe u19 level did not. I definitely feel that college football is underrated in Ireland. “There are huge opportunities for players who play with their college. I’m glad to see that it’s getting more attention recently as it has helped me hugely with my own development over the past few years.”

Since making the switch to Cork City, McLoughlin has proved to be one the standout young players in the league and with an ever-growing interest from the UK in the Irish league’s hottest prospects, a switch to the Premier League may not come as a major surprise for the Cobh native.

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