Picking over the bones of last night’s events which unfolded during the UEFA Nations League, the news that Carl Starfelt had to be stretchered off the park with what looked like a considerable injury made us all sigh. ‘Not another defensive injury!’ we were all thinking. The cries of an all too familiar scenario for the Celtic support.
Considering we won’t find out the extent of Starfelt’s injury until he has been for a scan and x-ray, one must consider the possibility that we may need defensive reinforcements sooner than expected. With Cameron Carter-Vickers still to sign (although it looks increasingly likely he will), it means there is room for another centre-back in the Celtic roster at the minute.
Of course, we do have Stephen Welsh and Christopher Jullien; although it remains to be seen if Ange will fancy giving the latter a chance after his interview with French TV about game time, whilst the former is still very much a work in progress. So, we are very much in the market for another centre-half the way I see it. Even with Starfelt fit, the intention to bring in another central defensive player was on the agenda.
With this in mind, is it worth the time pursuing a deal for former target and nearly man, Ben Davies? Davies was about to sign for the club when at the last minute Liverpool swooped in and dashed our hopes with a lucrative contract and the glamour of playing at Anfield in the Premier League. A sore one to take at the time.
News has emerged that the Englishman is to leave Liverpool this summer, having been on-loan to Sheffield United in the Championship this term. The former Preston North End man amassed 22 matches in the Championship, scoring one goal along the way. Now his permanent future is in the balance, with the player keen to find a new place to call home for good.
Ben Davies will be leaving Liverpool this summer. pic.twitter.com/iCywKO5ZkR
— Anfield Football (@AnfieldFootball) June 3, 2022
The question is: is it worthwhile pursuing a deal for Davies this summer? As always with these things it comes down to hard, brass-tax. Is the money involved going to suit all parties in terms of a deal? Will Liverpool be looking for ridiculous sums for a player who hasn’t even gotten a sniff of first team football under Jurgen Klopp?
Last year it was reputed that the Merseysiders were looking for £10 million to secure the defenders services. If it is a similar fee it is quite simply a non-starter. Celtic have already committed to spending around £12 million on Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota this pre-season, and even with Chamions League football guaranteed, it is excessive by all accounts.
Coupled with this would be the salary that Davies would be looking for. On a substantial £60K per-week at Liverpool, one would imagine he would want at least half of that sum – an outlay on the higher scale of what Celtic are willing to pay any footballer in the green and white Hoops. Financial prudence would suggest Davies – on paper at least – would be a no-go.
On the contrary, given that Celtic have secured a place in Europe’s Premier club competition for next season (by virtue of being Champions), could that in itself be enough to tempt Davies to Parkhead if the Anfield side were open to a reduction in their extremely high value from last summer? After all, it would freshen up wages for other moves that strengthen Klopp’s squad in the close season also.
Couple this by the fact that Davies is a versatile sort who can play at left-back also, it may be an avenue worth exploring for Ange and Michael Nicholson. Trimming the squad whilst procuring quality that can adapt to cover pesky injuries during the course of a League campaign, meaning less need to dip into the transfer market in January does make some sense.
Whether the men with the power to make such a move happen are convinced, remains to be seen.
Paul Gillespie
Listen to the specially recorded version of the Harry Hood song from the 1970s by the wonderful Boolavogue…
Here’s the shirts worn by Harry and some copies of Matt Corr’s brilliant official biography Harry Hood – Twice as Good…
HERE’S WHERE YOU CAN ORDER YOUR COPY OF HARRY HOOD -TWICE AS GOOD, DIRECT FROM THE CELTIC STAR…
AND HERE’S THE T-SHIRT WE’LL SEND YOU ABSOLUTELY FREE OF CHARGE WHEN YOU ORDER A COPY OF HARRY HOOD TWICE AS GOOD. JUST TELL US THE SIZE REQUIRED IN THE NOTES SECTION WHEN ORDERING. CHOOSE FROM SMALL, MEDIUM, LARGE, XL OR XXL…
No thanks he had his chance move along move along