Reported Celtic target Joe Bursik signs new Stoke City deal

By Hamish Carton

January 15, 2020

Celtic won’t be signing goalkeeper Joe Bursik on a pre-contract this month after the former Hoops target agreed a new deal at parent club Stoke City.

The 19-year-old, who was linked with Neil Lennon’s men by Football Insider back in mid-December, has signed a new three-and-a-half year contract with the Potters.

The original report said that we were “very keen” to bring in Bursik, although it seems that interest has come to nothing.

Stoke made the contract announcement on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon and also posted the finer details of the deal on their official website.

England under-20 international Bursik will remain on loan at Accrington Stanley until the end of the season, before returning to Stoke.

Bursik says he’s happy to have Stoke future sorted

Bursik is quoted as telling the official Stoke website: “It’s a great moment for me, getting my second professional deal done, and even better to have it here – a club where I want to be playing.

Goalkeeper Joe Bursik (Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

“Everyone’s goal is to play in the first team, get as many games as possible and have a good career.

“I really think Stoke is the Club for me to do that.”

Celtic goalkeeping recruitment will be very interesting

We’ll never know to what extent Celtic were interested in the youngster, or indeed if there was even any interest at all.

One thing that has become apparent over the past week or so is that we do seem keen on adding another goalkeeper to our ranks.

Along with Bursik, Sheffield Wednesday’s Cameron Dawson has also been mentioned as a potential arrival. He, too, is out of contract at the end of the season and would therefore be available on a cut-price deal.

Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Cameron Dawson (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Hopefully these various reports aren’t evidence that we’re going to skimp it when recruiting a new keeper in the summer.

The fans will want to see some money spent on a stopper, even if a deal for Fraser Forster can’t be completed.

You would hope that moves for the likes of Bursik and Dawson are with being back-up in mind. But then there’s the debate over Scott Bain – who signed a contract extension in October.

Whatever happens, it’s going to be lively in the goalkeeping department over the next six months.