According to an interview on Football Insider, ex-Premiership striker Noel Whelan has tipped Celtic to need a player of Wolves man Daniel Podence’s quality to replace the presence of Odsonne Edouard up front effectively. A previous report by the Daily Mirror had claimed that several clubs are interested in acquiring the Portuguese speedster’s services in the summer window and that Celtic head that list with a desire to sign him on a year-long loan deal. Although Whelan has urged Celtic to move for Wolves’ Daniel Podence, whether or not he will be allowed to depart the Premier League by Nuno Espírito Santo is a whole other question altogether.
Speaking on the matter, the former Aberdeen striker said, “Celtic are in the business where there is going to be speculation about Edouard and we have already seen it. That is only going to become greater when the English season has finished. He will be a name on everyone’s lips because of how well he has done at Celtic. They need to look at other attacking options in case he does go. The groundwork starts now and that is what good clubs do. They will have targets in mind and they are trying to get ahead of the game. They would need the quality of someone like a Podence if Edouard was to leave, I’m not saying he is going to… but if he was.”
What Makes Daniel Podence Such A Promising Talent?
The 24-year-old Portuguese trickster arrived at Wolverhampton Wanderers in January with a massive reputation already in place. Having completed a majority of his development while coming through the ranks at Sporting CP, the winger’s exploits, first in Portugal and then in Greece, have undoubtedly managed to capture the imagination of some of the bigger teams in the continent. Another massive selling point for the trickster is his ability to operate anywhere across the front-line, even as a second striker if need be.
The Wolves man is primarily a winger by trade though, as can be deduced quite easily from his general playing style. The Portuguese is a willing runner with the ball at his feet, and what makes him stand out from the rest is his ability to dribble past opposition defenders with ease.
Not only is the former Sporting ace quick in possession, but he also shows the intelligence and presence of mind required to make the right decisions in even the most high-pressure of situations. The forward tends to be a good finisher of the ball in the final third of the pitch as well.
Podence’s ball-carrying abilities are trumped by very few in Europe, and that’s likely what Nuno Espírito Santo had in mind when he decided to pay a fairly hefty price to Olympiacos to bring the 24-year-old to the Black Country. Potentially owing to the sheer weight of expectations, the attacker is yet to produce anywhere near his best at the Molineux yet. Podence made just six appearances in the league since joining up with the side in January, having been given his full Premier League debut by Wolves in their win against Everton just last week.
Whelan Has Urged Celtic To Move For Wolves’ Daniel Podence: Should Lennon Go For It?
One thing that can be said with surety is that Podence would’ve probably expected to be playing a lot more when he made the winter switch to the Premier League. Lennon should look to use that to his advantage, and thereby lure the Portuguese to Parkhead on a loan deal this summer. The speedster would simply walk into the starting eleven at the Parkhead club, and the inclusion of Podence, irrespective of whether Edouard is still there, could have a massive effect on the general playing style.
Potentially having to replace all of Edouard’s goals won’t be an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. Still, if he does end up leaving, the addition of Podence would make up a large chunk of the firepower that’s lost with the Frenchman’s departure.
