Wigan Athletic’s Nick Powell is attracting a fair bit of interest now that he has entered the final year of his contract. Reports earlier came out that the playmaker recently rejected a new deal at the club although Wigan seems keen to hold on to him and keeping him at DW Stadium is a priority at the moment.
Celtic have long been interested in him, and even after the summer window was done and dusted, the Hoops were continually linked with a move in the future for him. However, they are going to face some stiff competition for his signature now as latest reports confirm that Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig have joined the race for his signature.
Celtic have been rivalling Leipzig on the pitch as well as the two faced off in the Europa League game where the Hoops ran out 2-1 winners in the return leg at Celtic Park. Powell is allowed to have a pre-contract in January with a foreign club, and the Bundesliga outfit looks keen on him at the moment.
Powell shot into limelight as a 19-year-old when he was snapped up by Manchester United when Sir Alex Ferguson was still the manager. However, he wasn’t able to break into the first team at Old Trafford regularly and had loan spells at Leicester City, Wigan Athletic and Hull City.
The now 24-year-old playmaker found his footing with the Latics and has helped them regain promotion to the English Championship. This season again he has been influential for his side as he has contributed with four goals and five assists. What makes him special is his ability to play as a no. 10 as well as a striker when required and that could come in handy for the Hoops.
Clubs like Burnley and Brighton are also interested in him, but we think that Celtic might have a bit of an edge over them as they can offer European football to the player. However, with Leipzig coming into the picture, things can turn for the Hoops as they themselves are Champions League aspirant and reached the Europa League quarterfinals last season. Therefore in front of the German outfit, Celtic might struggle to attract the player.
It remains to be seen whether the Englishman would want to stay near his home or switch to a much different league in Germany. The player can also be attracted to the Premier League after he failed to make an impression the first time around. Now with more experience and abilities under his belt, Powell can be successful even in the English top flight. So Celtic have their work cut out if they are keen on this playmaker.
