John Kennedy would like Celtic to sign Moi Elyounoussi on a permanent deal this summer. So too would we, but whether the Interim manager is speaking in terms of being an integral part of the forthcoming Celtic be-build or simply as a Celtic supporter remains to be seen.
My own preference would be for Moi to score a hat-trick today, Dominic McKay to walk in the door tomorrow and state that the first call he’s going to make is to Southampton…
“I think he’s the calibre of player you want to try to attract to your club,” Kennedy told the mainstream media as reported by Scottish Sun (fans media still on the outside looking in Dom and you’ve got 60k season tickets to sell as well. Clever? Not really…task number 2 then).
“When you’ve worked with a player you know the quality they have, you get to see them up close and what you really like,” Kennedy added. “Moi’s character and his levels, in terms of training, he’s first class in everything he does. He’s one of the best professionals I’ve worked with.
“He really looks after his body, he commits to training and every drill you do each day. When he’s on form he’s a very good player.”
On whether Celtic will be looking at making the signing of Moi from Southampton permanent in the summer Kennedy certainly isn’t closing the door on that deal happening.
“We’ll have to address that in the summer if it’s a possibility. If it is a possibility I’m pretty sure the club will look closely at that.
“It depends on the situation. When players are bought it doesn’t always mean that’s what they are valued at going forwards.The discussion between the clubs isn’t one I’d go into and say to put a value on it.
“The club will look at what they have in the squad, what’s available and if a deal can be done. It probably won’t take place until the summer, so we will focus on making the most of having Moi and getting the most out of him we can.”
Southampton spent £16m bringing the Norwegian forward from FC Basel in 2018 but it’s unlikely that Moi is going to be part of the Saints plans for next season. If however they are interested in Ryan Christie – who remains one of the want-away stars in this current Celtic squad, with an eye on the English Premier League (according to his dad Charlie), then the idea of a swap isn’t the worst (Dom you reading this?…If it’s Christie who scores a hat-trick today then the deal is Moi plus £10m for Christie!)…
Hopefully Ryan won’t be starting, hasn’t done anywhere near enough. Not fully convinced by Moi, been hit and miss for me perhaps Lennie wasn’t using him properly. Definitely a player when on form though. Come on bhoys today!