Udinese have confirmed the signing, on a pre-contract, of Derby County attacker Festy Ebosele.

The Wexford lad has been strongly linked with a move to Udinese after he travelled there for talks in January and last week Derby County manager Wayne Rooney admitted that their hopes of agreeing a new contract with the former St Joseph's Boys man had ended as he'd agreed a move to an unspecified Italian side.

And last night Udinese confirmed the deal on their social media channels.

Ebosele, who is in line to play for Ireland's U21 side away to Sweden next week, will see out the season with Derby but then move to Italy.

In January the club confirmed they had signed current U19 cap James Abankwah, in a deal which saw him loaned back to St Patrick's Athletic until the summer when he will formally move to Udine.