Celtic are cruising towards the title, but they have not been exceptional in the past few months. They are getting the job done, and that is a hallmark of a good team. But given the quality they have, they should be dominating some of their games instead of just getting over the line.
It is clear that Celtic will need to add a bit more firepower to the squad. They are also likely to lose some of their key players as quite a few of them are on loan and others are in the final few months of their contract. One player which they should look to bring in is their former loan star, Patrick Roberts.
The Manchester City star spent two seasons at Parkhead and enjoyed great success. However, the attacker has found it tough to establish himself in the La Liga as his loan spell at Girona has been cancelled and the player has been released (The Scottish Sun) recently. Roberts made just six starts for them this campaign and failed to play full 90 minutes all season.
Girona manager Eusebio Sacristan commented on Roberts and said.“Patrick Roberts isn’t in the squad. There are other players in the team I believe that are better and there’s no point entering into further details.”
It’s clear that the manager doesn’t rate him and as a result, the winger has been released.
Why should Celtic go for him?
The 22-year-old will enter the final year of his contract with Manchester City, and there is no doubt that the Citizens might look to sell him permanently this summer. Given the quality the reigning Premier League champions have, Patrick Roberts would find it hard to even get into their matchday squads.
Celtic will lose the likes of Oliver Burke and Timothy Weah once the season ends. Scott Sinclair’s future is also uncertain, and as things stand, he can leave the club on a free transfer in the summer. Therefore Lennon would need to go after an attacker and Roberts fits the bill perfectly.
Predominantly a right winger, the Englishman can play in other positions as well in the attacking third. Roberts made a massive contribution at Celtic Park when he was at the club as he managed 18 goals and 26 assists in 78 appearances. He is still young and would be a no-risk signing as he has proven himself in the Premiership before. The player also might be keen to settle in as he has been playing on loan since 2015 and Celtic Park could just be the perfect destination for him.
