Dundalk now have a daunting gap for league rivals to close up in the Premier Division this season, but while the Lilywhites are moving closer to retaining the title, they do face challenges in the near future - namely can they keep hold of their current stars?

Ex-Shelbourne midfielder Stuart Byrne and The Irish Independent football writer Daniel McDonnell was on Off The Ball tonight and the latter talked about the potential for leading players like Daryl Horgan, Dane Massey and Richie Towell to be prised away.

"With age profile, you'd say Horgan and Towell would be the two, maybe Sean Gannon was one who had a bit of interest last year as well," he said.

"It's going to be a challenge to keep them certainly. A factor is as well is that once they get across the age of 23 threshold, clubs across the water now don't have to pay compensation for them any more, which is always an issue. And for their own ambition, it's a question.

"I think it's going to be hard to hold on to them. I think Horgan is one actually who could even be more likely to go in some ways, but we shall see how it pans out?"   

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