West Ham have reportedly placed three Celtic players on a summer wishlist, but the story is nowhere near the stage of bids, talks or a possible Parkhead exit.
A claim quickly spread through West Ham fan circles that sporting director Nils Koppen has identified three Celtic players he wants to take to the Championship.
The story created plenty of excitement among major West Ham fan accounts, but its origins reveal how little is currently known about the supposed Celtic targets.
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What the West Ham report actually says about Celtic
The report came from West Ham fan site Claret & Hugh who claim that they have a ‘source with excellent club connections’.
There is no reason to dismiss that claim simply because it came from a fan outlet, with club-specific sites regularly breaking legitimate transfer stories.
The description of one target as Japanese will inevitably lead to guesses involving Reo Hatate or Daizen Maeda, but the reference to creativity may push attention towards Hatate.
However, not a single player was identified and there was just a single quote in the article saying, “West Ham are chasing three targets at Celtic but no bids yet.”
There is also no confirmation that Celtic have been contacted in relation to these three mystery players.
Why Celtic should still pay attention to the West Ham claim
Celtic fans are well aware of Koppen and his experience in Scottish football during his time at Rangers.
Koppen’s recent experience in Scotland means he will already have detailed knowledge of Celtic’s leading players and the level of fee required to bring them to England.
That gives the report some credibility, but it does not mean West Ham are ready to make three offers.
West Ham may have Celtic players on a list, but right now there are no names, no bids and no sign that anyone at Parkhead has even been contacted. Until that changes, this is one to watch rather than one to worry about.
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