Nathan Collins edges closer to £20.5 million move to Wolves from Burnley

Republic of Ireland international Nathan Collins is on the verge of signing for Wolves and becoming the most expensive Irish player ever in the process.

Collins only signed for Burnley last summer in a £12.6 million deal from Stoke. The 21-year old Leixlip man impressed many with his performances this year for club and country, and it was widely expected that a Premier League club would come calling.

John Percy of The Telegraph reports that while a deal hasn't been fully done yet, talks between the two clubs are going well, with Collins' move to Wolves being described as 'close.'

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Wolves would be keen to sign Collins as he would fit into their defensive system nicely. Bruno Lage's side frequently play with three central defenders in a system that is very similar to the one Stephen Kenny's Irish side deploys at international level.

While the defender was unable to prevent Burnley from relegation last season, he earned rave reviews for his performances with The Clarets last term. Collins was even nominated for Premier League player of the month in April alongside world class stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Son Heung-Min and Cristiano Ronaldo.

At international level, Collins has quickly cemented himself as one of the first names on the team sheet with a string of dominant displays. The former Stoke star also knows where the back of the net is, scoring important goals against Everton and Southampton towards the end of last season.

Should he move back to the Premier League, Wolves fans will undoubtedly be excited to see some of the defender's silky skills, such as the ones he showed off against Ukraine when he scored a Lionel Messi type goal last month.

Wolves will be keen to wrap up the deal and get Collins in for pre-season training before the new campaign begins in early August.

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