The highways and byways of Britain will be jam packed this summer with removal vans transporting the possessions of Irish footballers from one club to another, we are unreliably informed by a string of websites and newspapers. Kenny Cunningham, for example, will be heading north from Wimbledon to Everton, passing Phil Babb on the way (Liverpool to West Ham).

Alan Mahon and John Aldridge are also leaving Merseyside (Tranmere, to be specific) - the midfielder's off to Huddersfield (or Celtic, Spurs or Leeds) and the manager is Spain-bound, where he'll take over the running of Rayo Vallecano. Joe Murphy won't have too far to travel, he's leaving Tranmere for Liverpool, but Steve Staunton mightn't be there when he arrives - he's had his fill of sitting on the Anfield bench.

Arsenal's Brian McGovern might be off to sunny Shepherds Bush, home of Queens Park Rangers, although his current boss Arsene Wenger is reluctant to wave goodbye. Meanwhile, Mark Kinsella insists he will be at Charlton to say `howarya' to Irish under-21 international Martin Rowlands, who's arriving from Brentford in a £3 million deal (although Gordon Strachan would prefer him to be sent to Coventry). Kinsella has denied he's off to Sunderland.