Manchester United are now favourites to sign North Carolina Courage midfielder Denise O’Sullivan at the end of the season, according to the Daily Mail reporter Kathryn Batte.

The same journalist reported in December that Chelsea, Manchester City and Aston Villa were pursuing the Republic of Ireland international, who has been capped 109 times by her country.

However, United have emerged as the frontrunner with Marc Skinner’s team “expected to make a bid” to secure O’Sullivan’s services in the coming weeks.

The 30-year-old is out of contract at the end of the year, but North Carolina Courage will be keen to make some money from her departure, rather than let her leave on a free transfer in January 2025.

O’Sullivan would favour a move to Old Trafford

As mentioned by the Mail, several other Women’s Super League clubs have been courting the Irish midfielder but it is believed that she is a “lifelong” fan of United, which means a switch to the red side of Manchester would be her preference.

Considering that last season’s WSL runners-up weren’t mentioned in the original transfer reports about O’Sullivan, it suggests that they have got wind of her allegiance to the club and are now pressing to sign her up.

What do United fans need to know about the player?

It’s fair to say that O’Sullivan has had a somewhat nomadic career, having played in Ireland, England, Scotland, Australia and the United States.

The midfielder really came to prominence during her three-year spell at Glasgow City between 2013 and 2016. Her performances attracted the attention of NWSL clubs and she moved to Houston Dash in 2017.

However, after one season, she made the switch to North Carolina, where she has spent most of the last seven years, with the exception of three loan spells at Canberra United, Western Sydney Wanderers and Brighton. Her stint at the Seagulls is the only time she has spent playing in the WSL previously.