Carlisle United have announced their third signing of the January transfer window and second today, with Seán Grehan joining on a half-season loan until the end of the campaign.
The Crystal Palace defender arrives in Cumbria having recently signed a new three-year contract at Selhurst Park.
Grehan, 19, has made 17 appearances for the under-21s side in the 2023/24 campaign, scoring two goals and recording one assist. The Dublin-born player has also captained his side this season. He was involved in the matchday squad for the Eagles’ EFL Cup tie against Plymouth Argyle, but did not feature.
Grehan previously played for Bohemians in his native Ireland, before being invited for a trial by the Premier League side. His performances in the youth setup have earned him multiple appearances in the under-19 and under-21 squads of The Boys in Green.
News of the deal comes after Luke Plange’s loan with Carlisle United came to an end, with the striker heading back to Palace. It is the second piece of business for Paul Simpson today, after securing the permanent transfer of Harrison Neal from Sheffield United.
Speaking to club media, the Blues boss was delighted with the signing of Grehan. He said: “He’s another good addition.
“He can play right or left-side centre back and I think he adds a little bit more to what we’ve got.
“He’s got a real hunger about him and has played senior football with Bohemians over in Ireland and has that real hunger in his belly.”
The 57-year-old is optimistic about Grehan taking his opportunity in League One, adding: “That’s the test, and that was the same for JK [Gordan] last season and for Luke [Plange], although Luke had a little taste of senior football with Derby County.
“This will be new for Sean but I can see by the way he’s speaking and the way he’s looked after himself that he’s a player with real high potential.
“Palace think highly of him and hopefully we can help him develop.”
Carlisle United’s business today is not finished either, with the club teasing a third signing via their social media channels.
A second handshake of the day for Simmo 🤝#cufc pic.twitter.com/DFCuo5QGZH
— Carlisle United FC (@officialcufc) January 4, 2024
Writer’s View
Paul Simpson is not messing around in the early stages of the window. He is determined to keep the Blues up this season, and adding three new faces already will certainly add needed depth and quality to the team. Grehan has seemed to do well enough in the academy to earn a proper chance at the professional level, and the newly-forged link between Palace and Carlisle will offer him a great and proven chance to do that.
Losing Luke Plange is not much of a loss for the Cumbrians though. Despite his previous experience with Derby County and Lincoln City, he never really seemed to kick on at his new club, only scoring two goals in 26 appearances. Adding Luke Armstrong before the window opened probably was the clue that his time at Brunton Park was going to come to a close.
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