According to reports in the Sunday Mirror (07/10; page 65) Wigan Athletic’s attacking midfielder Nick Powell has turned down a new contract offer from his current club, and it is likely he would now leave the club by next year. Celtic are one of the teams that have been strongly linked with him. Along with them, English clubs Brighton and Hove Albion and Burnley are also in the mix to sign him. Powell is already in the final year of his contract, and it is likely that the Latics are now going to sell him in January after failing to get the midfielder to sign a new deal with the club.
The Hoops have lacked the cutting edge in the attacking third of the pitch after they lost some crucial players in the transfer market. Former Manchester United player Powell can fill that void, and he would be a good bet for Rodgers.
We can expect Celtic to be active in the January transfer window as they should have decent funds to play with after selling Moussa Dembele to Lyon for £20m. The manager would also like to put things right in other departments as well as the club failed to land some of their targets in the summer.
Powell was just 20 when Sir Alex Ferguson signed him in 2012 for Manchester United. He always had a brilliant positional sense and intelligence, but he failed to make a breakthrough in United’s team as he went on to several loan spells at other clubs. Nevertheless, it showcases that when a team like United signs him, there must be something special in the Englishman.
Since then, the 24-year-old has come up leaps and bounds and is currently the talismanic man for Wigan Athletic. Even though he prefers to operate in the attacking midfield role, he has done well when he has started up front. Last season, he helped the Latics regain promotion to the Championship and Powell managed a tally of 15 goals and seven assists. This season again the attacking midfielder has been influential for his side as he has racked up four goals and four assists.
His biggest strength is his link-up play and ability to find a decisive pass in the final third. Powell likes to play in between the space between the defensive line and midfield, and that is where he is at his best. The Englishman is decent in front of goal, and along with that, he boasts a powerful header as well.
The 24-year-old might not be perfect like for like replacement for someone like Dembele, but he can make a difference in the final third. Powell rejecting a new deal at DW Stadium is indeed a good indication that he wants to move and the Hoops should go all out in January to land him.
