YESTERDAY it was reported that Celtic were interested in signing the highly rated Jack Clarke from Tottenham; however, the Scottish Champions should look within before setting their sights on any potential loan signings. Over the years, Celtic have benefited from signing talented youngsters on loan that we may otherwise be unable to afford – Denayer, Roberts and Timothy Weah come to mind.
Whilst it has been a fruitful avenue to offer clubs a location for their promising starlets to improve while playing first team football, it also takes away a potential place in the squad for a Celtic player.
In the post coronavirus market, clubs are going to have to look towards loans and cheap deals. Celtic will need to prioritise their money on one or two signings – Fraser Forster for example, should there be no outgoings.
This means that in order to make up for those that are leaving the club and those that the club had identified prior to COVID-19, the younger players at Celtic should be called upon. Whilst Clarke would offer another attacking option, Celtic had Jonathan Afolabi on loan at Dunfermline as well as Paddy Klimala and Bayo sitting on the sidelines.
Instead of nurturing the talents of other teams, Celtic should look to capitalise on this opportunity by blooding the future. Players like Klimala and Welsh were given brief cameos during the second half of the season whilst other prospects like Connell, Soro and O’Connor have failed to appear for Neil Lennon’s side during the campaign.
Before Celtic look to recruit, the club should first determine if whether they have a player that could make an impression on the first team already on the fringes. The economic implications of Coronavirus means that every penny is a prisoner and the club must maximise their output from the wages that they pay. This is a double edged sword for players in the coming weeks, who may be forced to justify their place at the club.
Jeremie Frimpong is the pathway that youth players can aspire to in the last year, since arriving Frimpong has forced himself into the first team and asserted himself as Neil Lennon’s first choice. The Irishman has always been good with rewarding youth in his team even if it is a slow process at first.
Frimpong starred on his debut, a league cup outing, before capturing the affections of the Celtic support with his humble demeanour and energetic performances. He is a winger in attack, proving skill and aggression to the front line but also a pillar in defence.
Celtic have been linked with a number of youngsters already this month and they are highly promising and running down their contracts. This appears to be the market that Celtic are currently scouting. Head of Recruitment, Gary Penrice, revealed that he was watching ‘240 players’ ahead of the club’s summer recruitment drive. This profile, similar to Lee O’Connor or Frimpong represents the market that Celtic will delve into this summer.
Before the club decide to enter the market, we should look at giving opportunities to the youngster that are already at the club before considering loaning another team’s starlet.
Nicky Hammond shouldn’t have a problem selling Celtic to players, with Virgil Van Dijk, Victor Wanyama, Stuart Armstrong and Moussa Dembele all using the Scottish Champions before moving to a top league.
Earlier this week Virgil Van Dijk spoke about the qualities he learned during his time in Glasgow – engraining a winning mentality in him.
“Celtic is a massive club, people still underestimate how big,” Virgil Van Dijk…https://t.co/f9DzS8XqWn
— The Celtic Star Editor – INVINCIBLE (@CelticStarMag) May 11, 2020
This point cannot be underestimated, the pressure at Celtic is constant and in every competition that we enter, supporters expect to be winning – even in Europe.
