(Credit: Imago, @billy_oneill23 on Instagram)

Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

Mon 23 March 2026 11:30, UK

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Championship club Bristol City have agreed a deal to sign Irish teenage sensation Billy O’Neill ahead of several Premier League and European sides, sources have told Football Insider.

O’Neil has been a long-term target for the Robins and is set to link up with them in the summer on a three-year deal.

The Bray Wanderers striker is regarded as one of the best prospects to come out of Ireland in recent years.

The 18-year-old forward helped Republic of Ireland Under-17s secure a historic first ever qualification for the World Cup last year.

From 34 matches last season, O’Neill scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions, piquing the interest of Bristol City and clubs across Europe.

Bristol City beat Premier League clubs to Billy O’Neill signature

Football Insider revealed back in October that a number of top Premier League clubs were keeping tabs on O’Neill with a view to making the move, while there was also significant European interest.

Scouts from both Germany and France have also made regular checks on the starlet’s progress in recent months, but it is Bristol City who are set to emerge victorious.

The Championship outfit have gained a reputation for developing young talent in recent years, having sold England hopeful Alex Scott to Bournemouth for a fee of around £25million back in 2023, and they are about to have another exciting young talent on their hands.

O’Neill became the youngest player to net a League of Ireland hat-trick since 1937 when he terrorised Kerry FC back in October, and he already has one goal from his opening six games this season.

The starlet ended the 2025 campaign as the fourth-highest scorer in the Irish second tier, and he is now set to test his ability within the English pyramid.

City already putting long-term plans in place

Bristol City had held hopes of mounting a push for the play-offs in the second half of the season, but that simply hasn’t materialised for them amid a difficult run of recent form.

Gerhard Struber’s side have won just two of their last 10 games in all competitions, a spell which included an FA Cup exit at the hands of Port Vale, League One’s bottom club.

They are now 12 points adrift of the play-off spots in the Championship, but also the same distance clear of the relegation zone, meaning there is little to play for at Ashton Gate between now and the end of the campaign.

That has seen them turn their attention towards putting plans in place for the future, and the move to secure O’Neill’s signature is a clear indication of that.

It remains to be seen whether he will immediately join up with the first-team when he completes his move, or whether the youth team will be a more suitable grounding at first, but he is certainly an exciting addition for City.