According to a recent tweet by Get French Football News quoting French source Le Progrès, as has been reported by The Scotsman, Scottish Premiership giants Celtic have been priced out of a summer move for the services of Lyon’s French forward Amine Gouiri. It has been suggested that Celtic have pulled the plug on Amine Gouiri transfer, despite already making all the initial steps and even registering an interest in the forward.
The Celts are said to have made a proper approach to the Ligue 1 side over a possible deal, but that the asking price quoted by Lyon is well beyond the Premiership side’s current budget. To add to their misery, a recent report by the Daily Record clarified how the Hoops’ first-choice striker – Odsonne Edouard, is being linked with a move away from Parkhead. With Arsenal said to be keen, this summer could prove to be ‘make-or-break’ for Neil Lennon’s side.
How Did Amine Gouiri Make A Name For Himself?
The 20-year-old is a French U21 international who has represented his nation across a variety of developmental levels. Despite being of Algerian origin, the youngster was born within the French confines and started his career with a couple of local clubs before moving on to Lyon in the summer of 2013. Having joined the Ligue 1 giants, the forward took about four years to break into the first-team setup.
Since that point, the youngster has gone on to play in a total of 15 fixtures for the Ligue 1 side, which also included substitute appearances in both the Europa League and the Champions League. Although the 20-year-old is yet to open his account for the Lyon first-team, the fact remains that the Frenchman has been extremely prolific at a youth level. The forward’s 47 appearances across various youth levels have yielded a quite stellar record of 42 goals.
What Would Amine Gouiri Add To The Celtic Front-Line?
The 20-year-old is one of the most exciting young attacking talents to come out of the French top-flight recently, and his influence going forward could be exactly what this Celtic team needs. Despite being young, the Frenchman showcases excellent composure and maturity while out on the pitch, while there’s no need to question the striker’s ability to put the ball into the net. The Lyon man is also known for his ability to time runs into space and latch directly onto passes from the midfield area.
Celtic Have Pulled The Plug On Amine Gouiri Transfer: Bad Move By Lennon?
The potential departure of Edouard during the summer window will be nothing short of a gutting blow for Neil Lennon’s side, and depending on Leigh Griffiths or Patryk Klimala to lead the line consistently could be an utter disaster.
Gouiri has obviously shown enough quality to break into the Lyon first-team, as he’s already made 15 professional appearances. Gouiri, given his scope for development, would undoubtedly be a massive coup by the Celts, and not moving for him is something that they could come to regret heavily in the coming years.
