Forest strike pre-agreement to sign Michael Noonan on 1 Jan
The 18-year-old will join from Shamrock Rovers on 1 January after a pre-agreement was reached, with registration to follow when the winter window opens.
Nottingham Forest have reached a pre-agreement to sign Michael Noonan from Shamrock Rovers, with the 18-year-old scheduled to join on 1 January. Ben Jacobs reports that the move is lined up for the opening of the winter window.
A pre-agreement indicates the parties have arranged a transfer for a future date, but registration can only be completed once the market opens. Until then, Noonan would remain with Shamrock Rovers and would not be eligible to play for Forest.
The 1 January timing means Forest could register the teenager as soon as the English mid-season window begins, positioning the club to add him to their squad for the second half of the campaign if the process advances as expected.
Such agreements are often used to secure a target ahead of a window, giving all sides a fixed arrival date while leaving formal paperwork to be finalised closer to the registration period. Clubs commonly handle medical, travel and integration planning around that timetable, but competitive involvement starts only after registration is confirmed.
The report does not specify a fee or contract length. As with any cross-border transfer, the move would be subject to the usual January formalities, including international clearance and Premier League registration when the window opens.
Shamrock Rovers compete in the League of Ireland, which follows a calendar-year schedule, so a New Year switch would fall between domestic campaigns for the Dublin club. Neither Forest nor Shamrock Rovers had issued an official announcement at the time of Wednesday’s report, and the pre-agreement does not accelerate the player’s availability before 1 January.