Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Johansson’s international transfer papers have been sent to FIFA with the case for his move to Ireland currently under review.

Johansson was born in Luxembourg to a Swedish father and a mother who grew up in Mullingar and he is eligible to play for the Boys in Green thanks to his maternal grandparents.

The 18-year old who featured frequently for Bayern’s first team in pre-season, had outlined his desire to represent Ireland at international level despite playing underage for both Sweden and Luxembourg telling Pundit Arena that “his heart was drawn to Ireland.”

His eligibility was thrown into doubt earlier this month however when he outlined in an interview with Swedish publication expressen.se, that he and the FAI were trying to clarify an issue with his passport with his father explaining that he didn’t have an Irish one when he first represented Luxembourg at underage level.

Johansson is eligible for Irish citizenship but wasn’t born with it due to his mother being born in England to Irish parents.

“What has happened is that Ryan has a Swedish passport from birth through me” said his father.

“But his Irish passport he has from his grandfather and then there are rules that say that when Ryan played his first official match for Luxembourg, then he had no Irish passport.

“If he had had an Irish passport then Fifa would have agreed to change, but since he did not, it is doubtful today that Fifa will approve that Ryan will play for Ireland.”

Paul Rowan of the Sunday Times reported today that the FAI have sent Johansson’s international papers to FIFA with a source close to the player confirming this news to Pundit Arena.

It is understood that Johansson is still fully committed to representing Ireland and that the player himself is very keen on the transfer to be accepted.

If FIFA’s rules are to be upheld and the appeal from the FAI fails then it would be a massive blow for the Boys in Green, losing an extremely talented young midfielder.

Rowan also outlined that Irish manager Mick McCarthy will be speaking on the issue when he names his squad for the games against Switzerland and Bulgaria tomorrow.

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