Celtic raised eyebrows when they signed Oliver Burke from West Bromwich Albion earlier on a six-month loan. The Scottish winger had struggled for game time, and he was put into a special training regime (Express And Star) by the English club so that he could get up to the pace of the game.
We were unsure whether the player would be hundred percent to take on the challenges of the Premiership straightaway. However, Rodgers hasn’t wasted any time and has inducted him into the playing eleven. To be fair, Burke has performed well so far, and this former RB Leipzig winger would come in handy as the season goes by.
However, if the Hoops were looking to secure a permanent deal for him in the future, then they have been dealt a body blow as Darren Moore has ruled out a permanent transfer for their winger. The Baggies signed the 21-year-old for a massive fee of £15m in 2017, and it was surprising to see Burke play just 46 minutes of football in the Championship.
Moore was quoted as saying (Daily Record), ”We do want to get him back. If Oli is back in the shop window, it’s because he’s doing well for Celtic. The magnificent thing is he’s our player, and he is being developed to be brought back here for West Brom.”
“We hope to see him back here in the summer after a succession of games and goals. The players in front of him here were scoring goals, so he found it hard to get regular games. We’ll get him back in the summer and have a player who is nearer the front line.”
It’s clear that the Baggies want to give him another chance at the Hawthorns and any hopes Celtic might have had about signing him permanently have been dashed. Typically a winger, Rodgers has used Burke as the man up top in the absence of Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths.
Burke showcases searing pace, and he has that physical side to his game which makes it hard for defenders to outmuscle him from the ball. Also, he already has two goals to his name in Celtic colours. So Rodgers would have definitely thought about a permanent transfer given the lack of forwards he has at his disposal plus the fact that Timothy Weah is also just on a six-month loan.
It remains to be seen whether Rodgers would continue using Burke up top or shift him to play in the wide areas which is his natural position. The manager though would be glad that the 21-year-old has settled in at the club quickly and has hit the ground running. But it is more or less certain now that the Hoops wouldn’t have any chance of signing him in the summer once his loan spell expires. All in all, a definite blow.
