Celtic were in store for a crucial summer transfer window as plenty of players went on to leave the club. Neil Lennon’s recruitment drive started slow, but he managed to pick it up in the final week as the Hoops completed a flurry of signings to add more depth and competition for places in the required areas.
One player with whom they were linked with was their former midfielder Victor Wanyama who has been out of favour at Tottenham Hotspur. The midfielder though came close to joining Club Brugge in the summer, but nothing materialised in the end. In terms of finances, Celtic are likely to find it difficult to match Wanyama’s wages, so only time will tell whether they would be able to acquire his services someday.
John Hartson on Wanyama
Former Celtic striker and pundit John Hartson believes that Wanyama’s signing would upset the balance at Parkhead as Lennon already has decent options at the middle of the park. Speaking to Football Fancast, he said, ”I think the crowd would like to see him go back. He’s a quality player and Celtic could do with quality players.”
“He’s a very good midfielder, but Celtic have got good midfield players. They’ve got a collection at their disposal, and they can only play four. Does it upset the balance if you bring in Wanyama all of a sudden? There’s a few clubs who will be interested in Wanyama. He’s big; he’s solid, he’s reliable, he’s a physical presence in both boxes.”
Why Wanyama’s signing would upset the balance of the side?
If Wanyama is signed then he would expect to start regularly and given his quality, he can most definitely be a regular for the Hoops. However, his signing could also mean that someone like Olivier Nctham will find game time hard to come by at Celtic Park.
We don’t think that the Hoops need to sign Wanyama by spending the big bucks on him in January. Scott Brown is still looking good in the middle, and Callum McGregor is one of the best ball-playing midfielders in the division. Moreover, Tom Rogic is also back fit and available, so he will also stake his claim to start at the centre of the park. Wanyama though could be a successor to Brown who is in the final lap of his career. However, right now, he is going strong and can probably still play a year or two at the top level.
Should Lennon Take Hartson’s Advice?
Therefore we think that Hartson is right with his assessment that Wanyama’s signing would disrupt the balance of the team. Therefore, Lennon has no need to sign the Kenyan international even though he is still a quality player.
