According to the reports from BBC, Cardiff City had rejected a loan bid from Celtic for their winger Josh Murphy. The Scottish giants were looking to sign him on loan with an option to make the move permanent in the summer. However, the Welsh outfit rejected that approach.
The 24-year-old was seen as a significant talent when he came up from Norwich City. However, the winger hasn’t managed to fulfil his potential yet after his £11m move to Cardiff City. Murphy currently has one goal and three assists in the Championship this season.
The 24-year-old has started just ten games in the league, and he is finding it hard to cement his place for a side which is 12th in the English second tier. Nevertheless, he had a good outing against Reading in the FA Cup recently where he scored twice. However, the Bluebirds were knocked out on penalties by the Royals.
Why are Celtic in need of wingers?
It is no surprise that Celtic tried to bring in a winger in January. The club parted ways with two wide players in Scott Sinclair and Lewis Morgan. Lennon was dealt a further blow when Michael Johnston suffered an injury late on in the transfer window, and the young winger could be out for months.
What is Murphy capable of?
The English winger tends to blow hot and cold. On his day, he can trouble the defenders with his pace and directness. But there are days when he would frustrate by giving away the ball cheaply. Nevertheless, we feel that Murphy has enough raw talent to thrive for the Hoops.
He showcases impressive dribbling skills, and the former Norwich man is also seen as a hard worker. All he needs is to improve his decision making. The winger sometimes tries too much instead of keeping things simple. He is 24 now so one would expect him to be better on this front. But he has shown glimpses of what he is capable of as he can keep the opposition defenders on edge with his driving runs.
Should Celtic consider signing him?
Celtic can be a good club for him, and we believe that the Hoops should look to return for him in the summer. Mohamed Elyounoussi is only on a loan spell, and if the Bhoys are unable to sign him permanently, then they should go all out for Murphy.
