It’s a name that fills the Celtic support with dread. Vasilis Barkas was a name that was synonymous with the disastrous COVID season.
The Greek keeper failed to impress at the club after his £4.5m move from AEK Athens [The Sun]. But to be fair to him, he did join Celtic at an unprecedented time in the club’s history.
Going for ten in a row, the pressure was already on the new signings. But trying to integrate into the club and getting to know your new teammates when social distancing rules were in place made the transition to Celtic almost impossible.
Now on loan at FC Utrecht, it seems Barkas is a wanted man again. The 28-year-old has made 32 appearances for the club, leading them to a comfortable seventh place in the Eredivisie. And it seems that the Dutch side are keen to make the move permanent.
Utrecht owner Frans van Seumeren said, “As a club, we are doing everything we can to keep Vasilis Barkas here, but it is a difficult issue.
“Not least because there are now other clubs also interested after his successful season.” [The Celtic Way]
Removing Barkas from the wage bill must be seen as a priority for Celtic. Even if the club can try and recoup some of the £5m fee they splashed out for him, that would be seen as a bonus.
Even so, if Barkas does eventually end his stay at Celtic, we wish him all the best. Sometimes moves work out, sometimes they don’t. Barkas was just one of those ones that no matter how much chances he may have gotten at the club, it just wasn’t meant to be.
In other news, Matt O’Riley reveals what Glasgow Derby ref said after Jota’s Rangers goal
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