If a report from the Northern Echo is believed to be true, Celtic have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Patrick Roberts. They were keen on bringing him back at Parkhead, but the Manchester City outcast is set for a Sunderland switch after an array of unsuccessful loan stints.
Man City roped in this once highly-rated Englishman from Fulham for a fee of around £12m back in summer 2015. However, he failed to make the cut in a star-studded City side and was eventually loaned out to Celtic six months later. There he enjoyed a blistering spell and conquered seven silverware in two and a half years. His 18 goals and 26 assists in 78 appearances earned him a cult status north of the border.
Although he was supposed to flourish in bigger leagues, spells with Girona, Norwich City, Middlesbrough, Derby County and Troyes went horribly wrong over the past three years. Roberts could not leave an impression in limited gametime and has become a forgotten figure at his parent club. His City deal is set to expire in the upcoming summer window and the Black Cats have emerged as the favourites to land him at the Stadium of Light ahead of the Glasgow giants.
The former England youth international has hardly featured for Troyes and a move to Sunderland should see him grabbing first-team minutes in the third tier of English football. It’s a massive downfall for the once highly-rated youngster, but the transfer makes sense, given the Wearsiders’ ambitious promotion push after years of misfortune.
Why Roberts Has Made The Correct Call By Not Returning To Celtic
The Bhoys, meanwhile, have strengthened themselves this winter by roping in the Japanese trio of Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda. The latter would challenge and cover the likes of Filipe Jota, James Forrest, Mikey Johnston, Kyogo Furuhashi, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Liel Abada as well as compatriot Kyogo Furuhashi high up the pitch and a return to Celtic, therefore, would have jeopardized assured football yet again for him.
Having said that, the Hoops should opt for another wide attacking option before the window is slammed shut in less than a couple of weeks time. While Johnston has been deployed as the understudy to Jota down the left-hand flank, persistent injury problems refrained Forrest from securing a starting status on the right. Abada has been impressive since his summer move, but the upcoming fixture congestion might lead to a fitness crisis later in the campaign. Roberts’ current form would have handed him a sporadic status under Ange Postecoglou, but the player must opt for Sunderland to seek a fresh start in order to get things back on track.
