Everton now in hunt to sign in-form striker Tommy Lonergan, he's having 'one hell of a season'

Everton are reportedly among a host of clubs interested in signing Republic of Ireland youth striker Tommy Lonergan.

The 22-year-old stole headlines earlier this week after scoring twice as Ireland's Under-21s side stunned England with a 3-1 win in U21 Euro qualifying.

Ireland U21s won all of their qualifying games over the last three weeks, beating Slovakia and Kazakhstan before their scalp against the Young Lions.

And Lonergan, who plays for Waterford in the League of Ireland, found the back of the net in all three of those games during the international break.

Lonergan isn't only in form for Ireland U21s, either, having netted 15 times in 32 appearances across all competitions in the 2026 Irish season.

And, understandably, his goalscoring exploits have led to interest in England.

The latest on Everton's pursuit of Waterford's Tommy Lonergan

TeamTalk has reported that Everton were among a number of clubs who scouted Lonergan during his performance against England U21s on Tuesday.

It is understood that Brentford, Brighton, Leeds and Sunderland also had scouts present in Cork to watch the ex-Fleetwood Town striker in action.

The forward's performance is said to have heightened interest in him ahead of the January transfer window, while there are clubs in the Championship who are also keen on him.

Ireland U21s boss Jim Crawford's reaction to Lonergan's form emphasises just why so many clubs are keen on the Waterford target man.

Speaking to RTE, he said: "He's been exceptional. He’s a bubbly character and he has shown he can play at a higher level.

"He’s a fantastic goalscorer. We see it in training, but he’s had one hell of a season. Our players need to realise that they have to keep playing consistently to prepare for the play-offs."

How much would Lonergan cost?

It's unclear how much Waterford would demand for Lonergan at this stage.

However, he has just over a year left on his contract at the League of Ireland club, meaning he shouldn't be too difficult to pry away in the upcoming winter transfer window.

According to transfermarkt, his transfer value is around £190,000.

The record sale for a player from the League of Ireland stands at just £1.7million, too, with Arsenal signing Victor Ozhianvuna from Shamrock Rovers earlier this year, after a deal was agreed back in 2025.

Either way, Everton aren't going to have to spend much on Lonergan if they do want to firm up their interest with an offer.

However, two goals against England's U21s and some good goalscoring form across the Irish Sea shouldn't mean that the Toffees are going to be signing the next Robbie Keane.

Lonergan is 22 and will turn 23 in January.

He's already had a chance at playing in England, having turned out for Fleetwood Town between February 2024 and January 2025.

In 20 appearances for them, he scored once.

Let's not let one good U21s performance skew perspective, here.