Recently reports had emerged that Celtic were interested in signing Reading’s highly rated defender Liam Moore as a possible centre back option. However, latest reports from the Daily Record confirms that Celtic are not looking to sign him in the summer and Moore is not on their radar anymore.
Why might Celtic have lost out on him?
The reason for that isn’t mentioned, or maybe Celtic were never interested in him in the first place. However, we think that it could be to do with the player’s affordability. The Royals had received a bid of £8m from Premier League club Brighton last year, and the Royals were able to keep hold of him back then. Moore later went on to sign an improved, and his contract with Reading is now until 2023.
Therefore we think that the English defender would cost more than £10m and Celtic will probably have to break their transfer record again. With so many players to sign and positions to improve, it wouldn’t have been advisable for the club to spend over £10m on a centre back. Therefore it was always going to be tough for the Hoops to lure him.
Moore managed to make 41 appearances for Reading last season, and he has been a crucial player for them for quite some time now. The 26-year-old is experienced enough, yet he is at the peak of his career right now. Honestly, the former Leicester City player would have been an ideal replacement for the recently departed Dedryck Boyata.
Celtic’s issues at the back
Celtic are also set to lose Filip Benkovic as he signed just on a season-long loan. The Hoops should try to get him back once again, but there is no guarantee that it would happen in the summer.
Therefore signing a centre half should be a priority for the club as they are going to be left with the likes of Jozo Simunovic, Jack Hendry and Kristoffer Ajer. It would be better for Hendry to go on loan as he still doesn’t look ready to play for a club of Celtic’s stature.
Moore’s versatility to play as a right-back would have come in handy given Celtic’s right back situation, and he would have been a perfect addition in more than one way. Maybe any other season if Celtic didn’t have so much rebuilding to do, they might have splashed big money on the Englishman. But they need to tread carefully and do the business smartly for the upcoming campaign. Losing out on Moore was almost inevitable for the Hoops this season.
