Do we really need another project?
Celtic were last night linked with Japanese midfielder Kanji Okunuki who plays for Bundesliga 2 side FC Nurnberg.
Okunuki is apparently an attacking midfielder who is highly rated and has been involved in a couple of the Japanese international squads. With our success with players from the Far East, particularly the land of The Rising Sun, he could well be a player of interest.
But the question has to be asked. He is clearly a project player and do we really need yet another one of those? We are in dire need of a few quality proven players. Especially if we want to compete in Europe.
It’s all fine and well signing players who have potential, but the supporters are craving a few ready made first team players who will add experience and quality to our side. Quality players who have been round the block and are proven top quality performers.
I’m sure the manager feels the same way. Surely he will have targets of his own in mind and will want to pursue them in January. If we want to push on for the league and make strides in Europe we need players with both experienced and quality, not more hopefuls to be developed. It’s imperative we do that.
Projects are fine but you’ve got to compliment them with experience also. Celtic have been busy buying the former but have yet to fork out for the latter.
And the other point about more project signings joining the squad is the message that it sends to the Celtic Academy. Last season under Ange Postecoglou players like Rocco Vata broke into the first team after being given an extended period training with the first team. Now the promising Celtic starlet is back with the Celtic B Team – a backward step for the player and one that certainly isn’t helping his development, although he did score a hat-trick in a recent match.
Our Academy stars will all see the Vata example and figure their own chances are slim to say the least. Celtic should be developing our own players towards the first team and since his return to the club Brendan Rodgers has been unable to do that because of the sheer size of the Celtic first team squad. It’s too big and needs to be reduced with the manager saying he needs quality over quality.
Our last European result was a 6-0 hammering in Madrid. To make us a team ready to compete at that level Brendan Rodgers knows what he needs and if there’s development options open that let’s see what we have in the Celtic Academy and try to give those young ‘Celtic stars of the future’ some hope that this isn’t just a slogan.
That’s not to say that Kanji Okunuki wouldn’t be a player who could make it at Celtic, only time would tell on that one if he is signed. However the wider point stands, quality signings are needed, quality over quantity as the manager has stated and a chance to develop Celtic Academy players needs to be given more than lip-service over at a crowded Lennoxtown.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
When we start posting January Transfer rumours this week..pic.twitter.com/W7xHOrs5Yh
— 20 Minute Tims (@20MinuteTims) November 16, 2023
Our record in bringing academy players through to first team is abysmal,we have lost several players with massive potential in recent years and let a few go who went on to be quality players,if they’re good enough they’re old enough to be given game time.