Celtic have confirmed the signing of Bosun Lawal on a three year deal. The 18-year-old joins from Watford but Celtic had to act quickly to secure terms with the Ireland U21 Internationalist as European Champions Chelsea showed interest in signing the starlet.
Lawal will go into Celtic’s B Team under Tommy McIntyre as they look to make an impact in the Lowland League. If Lawal can impress, he will be moved into the first team picture.
Celtic can offer a unique pathway to English football with examples of Kieran Tierney, Virgil Van Dijk and Victor Wanyama all of which arrived at Celtic in different stages and left for England. Kris Ajer may even become an example to use in the coming days, someone that was taken for a small fee, developed and moved on for a high transfer fee.
Brexit means that English clubs will need to look closer to home and may result in them hoovering up any talent that they spot. This congested market will allow for Celtic to spy and poach those that will not settle to be loan fodder and provide them the platform to play regular first team football and European football (if applicable). Jeremie Frimpong is the best example of this.
There is no rush for players to go to England, which is ultimately what Celtic should be telling guys like Lawal and even first team players like Karamoko Dembele. Liam Hughes left for Liverpool but the likelihood of any appearance in between the sticks at Anfield would be farfetched indeed. Celtic can now offer players competitive football against men that will only improve their resilience. This will help them break through into the first team as they won’t be scared of being hacked down by a seasoned pro.