Mohamed Elyounoussi lit up Celtic’s semi-final win against Hibs on Saturday night. Celtic’s wide left player scored two goals, could easily have had double that, if not more, and was the man of the match in Celtic’s highly impressive 5-2 semi-final win.
It was a race for the accolade, that had it been a horse race it would have been a blanket finish with Callum McGregor, Scott Brown and Odsonne Edouard.
In the press conference prior to the Cup Semi-final Lennon was quoted as saying as much as Mohamed Elyounoussi had done well he was already thinking he hadn’t quite done enough to consider a permanent deal. I have to say I was surprised by that.
Fast forward 24 hours and even Lenny must now be thinking Mohamed Elyounoussi has done more than most to impact on the first team’s drive to league supremacy and now a Cup Final.
Considering he’d brought the Southampton man in after a season in the Premier League wilderness it’s a bit surprising he was even laying down a challenge. Even up to last night Mohamed Elyounoussi had proved he was a player Celtic should be glad to have in the ranks, for how long that can be sustained however is now the question.
Ten appearances have now resulted in seven goals, and five assists. Not sure what more you can expect from a player. Given his defensive work rate easily matches his forward momentum my only conclusion can be Lennon is softening the blow that Celtic can’t afford Mohamed Elyounoussi long term and Lenny wishes to temper expectations.
Add to that Fraser Forster also signed on loan from Southampton, has re-taken the role of the ‘Great Wall’ he left behind to seek England caps, perhaps Lenny is bracing us for the one from two permanent deal and that Forster would be the one he’d push the boat out for. You know what, that makes sense.
If as is rumoured Forster is on £70k a week but in some way open to making the deal happen, it would take some high profile exits on hefty wages to see Peter Lawwell sanction a move for both Forster and Mohamed Elyounoussi.
While fees for both are probably well within Celtic’s scope, the wages both take home every week look on paper far too rich for Celtic.
If as believed Scott Brown is already on less than half what Fraser Forster picks up at Southampton and you’d assume Mohamed Elyounoussi must be on a similar wage then the figures are unlikely to add up.
The loan deals as they stand are very much likely to be seeing Southampton continue to pay at least 50% of the contractual wage for both players. As such it may well be that the left wing is already being heavily scouted by Nick Hammond while the goalkeeping position remains a work in progress.
If I had to choose one from two I’d probably plump for Fraser Forster as the deal to make happen if I was in Lennon’s position.
His saves against Lazio already show that a top class goalkeeper is just as an important position as a goal scoring striker. Keep them out at one end and you have a fine chance of grabbing the all-important goals at the other. Whether we like Elyounoussi or not and I certainly do, it’s likely a left winger may not have the long term attraction that an international goalkeeper may have.
For now it looks like we’ll have to enjoy the time we have with both players and assume both won’t be long term acquisitions.
One of them however may just get over the line. I wouldn’t expect the one, to be Mohamed Elyounoussi.
Niall J
ALSO ON THE CELTIC STAR…
Reaction to the Betfred Cup Final on 8 December which will feature Celtic and the Rangers in the first ever major cup final between the two clubs…
Betfred Cup Final, Celtic versus ‘for simplicity’s sake, I will call them Rangers,’ David Potter
First Ever Cup Final between Glasgow clubs confirmed, Celtic 4 short of a Century
