IRELAND U19 INTERNATIONAL Timi Sobowale is to make the move from Manchester City to the United States where he will join Utah-based club Real Monarchs.

19-year-old Sobowale has been signed by the club, pending visa approval, who play in the USL Championship, the league below the MLS. The young defender joined Man City from Waterford schoolboy outfit Villa FC. He made 21 appearances for teams in the Man City academy in his first two seasons and soon moved on to the U23 side in Premier League 2.

Sobowale made his debut for the Republic of Ireland U17s in 2018, the same year he signed with Manchester City more recently represented Ireland in the qualifiers for the European U19 Championship.

“Timi is a young cerebral defender who, for his age, carries himself with a great abundance of maturity. The expectation is for him to come in and be a stalwart defender for the Monarchs,” RSL Assistant General Manager Tony Beltran said.

“We look forward to watching him continue to develop and mature as defender with the Monarchs.”

In other transfer news involving Irish players, Shane McLoughlin is moving on from League One team AFC Wimbledone and Ryan Sweeney is to depart League Two club Mansfield Town