It was reported last week that Celtic are interested in Alvaro Rodriguez.
The striker, formerly of Real Madrid and now of Elche, was apparently the top target to replace Daizen Maeda.
He is 21 years old, 6 ft 4 in and scored against both El Clasico clubs in La Liga this season. On paper, he certainly would’ve been an exciting signing.
But the issue is that this guy was simply never coming to Celtic.
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Alvaro Rodriguez is comically out of Celtic’s price range
A simple background check at the time of the reports showed that Bournemouth were interested in Rodriguez in January.
Given the money that the Cherries throw around nowadays, this already looked like a death sentence for Celtic.
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After he stayed put for the second half of the season, he is now the subject of bids from several Premier League clubs.
Matteo Moretto reports that both Bournemouth and newly-promoted Hull City have already sent offers worth more than £20 million.
Whilst a glance at the Parkhead balances lets you know that the club could feasibly pay this for a player, Hoops fans will be well aware that this is a pie-in-the-sky idea.
Bournemouth, arguably, are currently the best stepping stone to Europe’s elite in world football. Man City, Liverpool, PSG and Real Madrid have all signed players from them over the last year, and their last manager is about to take over at Liverpool.
Once a club like that is named in the race alongside Celtic, the game is simply a bogey.
To be clear: this is not to excuse some of the penny-pinching to which we have become so accustomed in recent years as Celtic fans. This is not letting the club off the hook.
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More realistic options for Celtic to show ambition this summer
Soufiane El-Faouzi, is an example of an ambitious eight-figure signing which is entirely possible for the Hoops this summer.
The club’s interest in Kasper Hogh has also been well-documented. The striker has scored goals at the highest level for Bodo/Glimt.
Fares Ghedjemis, who decided not to move to Glasgow in January, has since gone from strength to strength and could prove his worth as a signing at this summer’s World Cup.
A good way to start this summer’s rebuild would be by making an ambitious managerial or sporting director appointment… and this looks unlikely to happen at present.
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