Centre-back Dara O’Shea says he is “fully committed” to Ipswich Town and wants to help them return to the Premier League, thereby diluting transfer links with Leeds United.
Loose speculation in recent days touted the 26-year-old as being on the radar of the Whites, who are looking to bolster their central defensive options this summer. O’Shea only signed a five-year deal at Ipswich last August.
This season’s relegation with the Tractor Boys means the Dublin-born defender has recorded back-to-back Premier League demotions, having gone down with former club Burnley last year. O’Shea played in all but six Premier League games across both seasons.
The defender, a regular for the Republic Of Ireland who can play centre-back and right-back, has been asked about his future while away on international duty this month. “I’m fully committed to Ipswich at the moment,” O’Shea told the Irish Mirror.
“I’ve got another four years there and I want to get the club back into the Premier League. I’m ambitious as a player. Obviously I want to be playing in the Premier League but I know it’s not that easy.
“Whatever happens in football it happens for a reason. You have a journey and you’ve got to stick to that sometimes.”
United will need to reinforce their centre-back options this summer after Max Wober revealed the club intend to offload him. “Leeds has already made it clear to me that they want to sell me,” he told Austrian media over the weekend.
“I might have been able to send out a letter of application [with his performance for Austria]. I was extremely pleased that I was able to show other clubs that I’m fit, that I’m still a really good player, and that I don’t want to just rot away in England.”
United's other current senior centre-back options consist of Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk and Ethan Ampadu, though the latter is set to be used in his natural midfield role and there are concerns over Struijk’s recent injury record.
James Debayo is expected to sign the new contract terms offered to him but only has two cameo senior appearances to his name. Udinese centre-half Jaka Bijol has been linked, and ambiguously said this weekend that he is “ready for the next step”.
AC Milan - whom he called “a truly great team" - and Roma are also painted as holding interest. Bijol, a 62-cap Slovenia international, has two years left on his Udinese contract.
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