Let’s give new Bhoy Joel Mvuka a chance, he’s Martin O’Neill’s choice and that in itself is encouraging is it not?…
Celtic have reportedly clinched the signing of Joel Mvuka from French top flight outfit Lorient for a fee in the region of £3 million. The 24 year old Norwegian winger who has also enjoyed spells at Bodo/Glimt in his homeland and Young Boys in Switzerland is eyeing regular game time in a bid to force his way into the Norwegian squad for next summers World Cup Finals.
Mvuka has yet to represent his nation at senior level, despite excelling for the under 21s. His career hasn’t exactly hit the heights he achieved at Bodo, so we can only hope he turns his career around in Glasgow.
We had been heavily linked with the likes of Damir Redzic, and Fares Ghedjemis, but it’s Mvuka we’ve decided to go for, although his signing isn’t exactly went down well with some supporters, who believe we could have pursued a higher quality of player.
I can see why as his recent record is hardly inspiring, that’s the truth, but let’s look at the positives. We’ve got a young hungry player who is eager to impress, due to the carrot of a World Cup place dangling over him, and if anyone can get the best out of him, it’s Martin O’Neill.
We’ve been crying out for a bit of freshness on the right hand side of the attack, as we haven’t fully replaced Nicolas Kuhn, so fingers crossed Mvuka is that man. Nicolas himself wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms by the supporters, so maybe just maybe Mvuka will surprise us in the same way.
Yang has impressed this season, Michel -Ange Balikwisha is basically out of the picture, and James Forrest’s best days are sadly behind him, so it’s vital that we recruited some new blood, a bit of freshness, and in Mvuka we’ve done just that.
He is a player that Martin O’Neill has given his approval to and remember the veteran Celtic manager has rejected other options for this window, including the boy who ended up signing for Sunderland.
UPDATE: Celtic have agreed a £3m deal for Lorient winger Joel Mvuka.
The 23yo is in London to undergo a medical today and will travel up to Glasgow later tonight.
Mvuka wants to join the Scottish champions – with hopes of breaking into the Norway squad for the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/zZWmyFW1VR
— Paper Talk (@DailyTransfer0) February 2, 2026
Joel Mvuka might turn out to be a player who wins over his doubters under the guidance of Martin O’Neill, who is one of the best man managers in the game.
— FC LORIENT 🐟 (@FCLorient) January 31, 2023
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
Every player must be helped and supported, I suspect he was Martins 5th choice though. Good luck lad!
They simply will not spend money on quality players, that’s the tragic reality and always will be. No harm to the young fella from Lorient but he is obviously from the bargain basement.
To think the Board could have sold the useless Engels to Notts Forest for £17.3m and spent the money on two quality additions to the team. But no, back to the cheap projects again. There’s just no ambition – it’s not a club worth supporting under the present Board.
Excellent point made Martin.
As a supporter, will continue to support any new additions made to our club.
That bar has been lowered, especially with the campaign against the board, hardly making ourselves an attractive proposition for potential players imo?
Regardless MoN and Maloney have been trusted in trying to reshape our squad, that wasn’t done successfully last summer.
A massive task in itself, especially looking for solutions during the January window?
Still potentially looking at 6 attacking options within a 20man SPFL match day squad, within how a match day squad is currently being formed at present imo?
So potentially won’t be much playing time available for Kenny and forrest available, and balikwisha is already falling into the barkas and ajeti bracket imo?
So restructuring our attacking options was always going to be the intentions of this window?
Creating a bit of competition for those 6 positions within a SPFL match day squad, isn’t the wrong approach taken by MoN and Maloney imo?
A few have become to comfortable in getting selected, despite producing very little to warrant there selection imo?
Maeda Just isn’t working any longer in the striker role whatsoever now imo?
So getting a better balance within our attacking options, especially with the option available for impacting games, moreso has to be a must for ourselves.
Whether that’s going to be successful, remains to be seen within our approach?
But will remain more supportive of our players, than turning attentions moreso to the boardroom regardless, for myself anyway?