Melia joined Tottenham in January 2026 on a contract until 2031 Chris Vaughan / Lincoln CityAug. 5, 2026 1:00 pm EDT Updated Tottenham Hotspur’s Mason Melia, 18, has signed for newly-promoted Championship club Lincoln City on a season-long loan.Melia became the first League of Ireland player to be sold for over £1million when he joined Tottenham from St Patrick’s Athletic for an initial package of €2million (£1.6m; $2.1m).The 6ft 3in (190cm) forward joined Tottenham in January 2026 on a contract until 2031. The deal was agreed the previous year, but after the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, Irish players who are not eligible for a British passport must be 18 before they can sign for an English club.Melia featured six times for Tottenham’s Under-21s in Premier League 2 last season, scoring three goals, and joined the senior team pre-season tour in Australia and New Zealand this summer.He has been capped by the Republic of Ireland twice and is the domestic league’s youngest-ever scorer. Melia is experienced for his age, having made 98 senior appearances for St Patrick’s Athletic, scoring 25 goals and earning the Ireland FA Young Player of the Year in 2024.Lincoln have nurtured talent from Ireland over recent seasons. Jack Moylan, the club’s joint top-scorer last campaign, signed from League of Ireland club Shelbourne in 2024 and is set to join Cardiff City.Lincoln were promoted to the Championship last season after winning League One with 103 points, going 29 games unbeaten, and will be playing in the second tier for the first time since 1961. The Tottenham loanee will be an exciting attacking option as they look to compete in the division.