Football Insider exclusive as Aston Villa manager Unai Emery stares across a split image towards West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

Aston Villa and West Ham both want to sign Liam Kelly.Imago

Sources: Aston Villa and West Ham in battle for Liam Kelly transfer

Transfer Correspondent AUTHORITY Former Sky Sports and ESPN FC correspondent who specialises in global recruitment, contract negotiations, and high-velocity transfer breaking news. FOCUS Exclusive reporting, domestic and international transfer markets, and elite-level insights. THE INSIGHT Pete utilises a Global Network of Industry Sources to deliver verified, first-to-market reporting. His “Deep-Lens” analysis connects the dots between boardroom strategy and pitch-level recruitment, providing a level of transfer clarity that goes beyond surface-level rumours.

Published on:

23 Jun 2026, 3:30 pm

Aston Villa, West Ham, Brighton and Bournemouth are all tracking teenage Irish sensation Liam Kelly, sources have told Football Insider.

The Northern Ireland U17 international is tipped as a star in the making and the English quartet are all big admirers of the winger.

The 15-year-old became the youngest player to ever appear in a competitive fixture for Derry City on Monday night when he came off the bench in the draw at Shamrock Rovers.

It was Kelly's first ever taste of senior football, and he could now be about to make the move to a top English academy.

Kelly is one of the brightest young talents in the League of Ireland's Premier Division at the moment.

With English clubs circling around him, a move away from Derry looks set to be just around the corner this summer.

Liam Kelly set for pick of English clubs

Kelly's impressive development has already seen him catch the eye of Premier League clubs, who are keen to add him to their youth setups.

The starlet looks set to have a wide array of choices open to him for his next move, given that the interest in him is already so strong.

Brighton and Bournemouth have both gained reputations as excellent clubs for young players to hone their talents.

Meanwhile, the more established duo of Aston Villa and West Ham have more traditionally esteemed setups in academy circles.

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All four are keen to secure Kelly for the next stage of his development, with the youngster set to have the pick of some huge clubs if he decides to move.

Keith Wyness drops Aston Villa transfer claim after Unai Emery gets his 'man'

Aston Villa's new transfer plan clear

Former Villa chief executive Keith Wyness recently told Football Insider that Villa have done the right thing by letting President of Football Operations Roberto Olabe handle all of their transfer business this summer.

The recruitment chief arrived to replace Monchi in the middle of 2025-26, and will take charge of his first summer window at Villa Park.

Unai Emery has handed all control of the club's transfer dealings over to the 58-year-old, who is highly trusted by the boss.

It is currently unclear whether Olabe's remit extends to signings at academy level.

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