Celtic might eventually lose Kieran Tierney to Arsenal towards the closure of the transfer window. But the incredible claim made by Motagua president Eddy Atala has baffled the fans over yet another return of veteran Emilio Izaguirre in a short-term deal, according to the Daily Record.
The Honduran was initially roped in by the Hoops back in the summer of 2010 for a fee of around £650,000. The left-back soon grabbed a regular role and went on to feature more than 250 times before joining Saudi outfit Al-Fayha a couple of summers back. But he decided to rejoin Celtic on a one-year deal last year and once again left the club in July rejecting an extension offer.
Where Is He Now And What Has Been Claimed?
Izaguirre, currently training with his boyhood club Motagua, is yet to sign a contract and is reportedly assessing offers before making the final call.
“We spoke to Emilio Izaguirre’s agents this week, and he has offers from clubs in the USA, Japan and Australia.
“There is also the possibility of him returning to Celtic, but that is only for a short time of six months.
“If Emilio decides he doesn’t like these offers, then we would, of course, offer him a contract here.
“Clearly, the offers elsewhere are better than ours economically, but we have 30 days or so before our transfer deadline so we can wait.”
Atala’s statement has fueled the speculations over the 33-year-old’s future.
Should Celtic Re-sign The Experienced Star?
Kieran Tierney had an injury-ravaged 2018-19 that saw Izaguirre making 19 appearances in all competitions. Neil Lennon, meanwhile, deployed Jonny Hayes as a makeshift left-back at times and the ex-Aberdeen star might be utilised as the understudy to new recruit Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo later this campaign. Yet they should bring back the Honduran who knows the club inside out having won 13 titles during his tenure.
Although Sunsport has dismissed Atala’s claim of Celtic’s offer, we must not rule out anything yet considering Izaguirre’s affiliation with the fans and the club. Tierney’s transfer is a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ whereas Mbombo, though he had a bright stint at Rapid Vienna, might take time initially to adjust to the aggressiveness of the Scottish football.
A short-term move for the veteran, therefore, makes sense at least until the winter window.
