Lincoln City have reportedly missed out on Eoin Kenny, with Portsmouth understood to have triggered the Dundalk forward’s £34,000 release clause.
The 20-year-old has completed his move to Fratton Park after Pompey saw off reported interest from Lincoln City and Luton Town, according to The News.
Kenny had been attracting attention after a productive campaign with Dundalk, where he registered five goals and three assists in 22 appearances during the 2026 League of Ireland season. In total, he leaves Oriel Park having played 81 times for the club, scoring 17 goals.
We had been linked with Kenny before, so it feels like a fair assumption to suggest we were at least looking this summer. He is a Northern Ireland Under-21 international and, at £34,000, represents the sort of low-cost, potentially high-reward deal that clubs across the division are always alert to.
However, Portsmouth have moved decisively to secure the right-sided forward, with reports suggesting they activated a release clause in his Dundalk contract. That figure has attracted attention, given Kenny’s age, senior experience and international pedigree, although Dundalk may yet benefit from clauses attached to the transfer.
Former Portsmouth forward Eoin Doyle, who spent time at Fratton Park on loan in 2017, backed the move while working as part of Virgin Media Sport’s coverage of Dundalk’s game against Shelbourne. Doyle also pointed to the nature of playing at Fratton Park, describing Portsmouth as a club where the support and surroundings will provide Kenny with a very different experience to the one he has had so far in Ireland.
City’s recruitment work will continue, but Kenny’s move to Portsmouth appears to close one possible avenue in the attacking department. We’re in a pond packed with big fish, and this summer it’s believed we have missed out on a couple of targets, Barney Stewart, who went to West Brom, Luke Graham, who went to Stoke and now Kenny.
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