According to the reports from the Scottish Sun, Celtic are eying a move for Bournemouth’s winger Jordon Ibe. The Hoops are considering a loan deal, and Eddie Howe is seemingly in a dilemma regarding whether to allow his English winger to leave on loan. Arnaut Danjuma is currently down with an injury, and that has reduced Howe’s options on the flanks.
The Cherries boss currently has Harry Wilson, Ryan Fraser and Ibe as the available wingers right now. Danjuma, David Brooks and Junior Stanislas are injured right now, but once they become available, then Ibe could fall behind in the pecking order.
The former Liverpool player has attracted interest from various quarters including clubs like Napoli, Fiorentina, Galatasaray and Espanyol. The report though mentions that interest from the Scottish champions could be difficult to resist for the winger.
Bournemouth signed the winger for then a club-record fee of £15m, but he hasn’t managed to cement his place in the Cherries lineup. Meanwhile, Celtic are still looking to add options, and a winger is seemingly on the agenda of the club. The Hoops were given a big jolt as they crashed out of the Champions League qualifiers and that might push the Celtic board to bring in quality players to resurrect the team.
Does Celtic need wingers?
Scott Sinclair has fallen down the pecking order ever since Neil Lennon took over and it seems clear that Lennon doesn’t fancy him much. Lewis Morgan has looked average at best so far playing on the flanks. Michael Johnston and James Forrest are the two players who have impressed so far this season.
Marian Shved is waiting in the wings to get his chances, but he is another player who can thrive at the top level. Celtic does have options for the flanks, but it seems like Lennon isn’t happy with the quality he has at his disposal. Maybe the gaffer sees Ibe as an upgrade over some of the existing players.
Will Ibe be a good option?
When the winger broke through in the Liverpool senior team, many were seeing the Englishman as a replacement for Raheem Sterling who had departed to Manchester City by then. However, after a few years, it is clear that Sterling has taken himself to the next level whereas Ibe is struggling to get game time at Bournemouth.
Ibe made 19 appearances in the Premier League last season and contributed with one goal and assist. He has quick feet and ability to breeze past defenders due to his impressive pace. However, his final product has always been under a scanner. We think that he will be a decent signing on loan, but Celtic’s priority should be getting new fullbacks.
