Former Celtic target Silas Wamangituka is proving the club wrong with a great half season.
The Hoops were reportedly in for the Congo striker last summer. [Scottish Sun]
Wamangituka ended up joining German giants Stuttgart in a 7 million euro deal (£5.9million).
Tale of two half seasons for Silas Wamangituka
Neil Lennon had Wamangituka reportedly on his radar as the club looked to bolster the front line.
Celtic had done well with young French based players in the recent past and looked to make the 19-year-old the next one.
Wamangituka was firing in 11 goals and 12 assists in 34 appearances for Ligue 2 outfit, Paris FC.
The move didn’t end up working out and Wamangituka subsequently joined Bundesliga 2 side, Stuttgart.
The £5.9million fee is one that Lennon could have paid to bring the Congo attacker in.
Wamangituka started slowly for the second tier sleeping giants, scoring once in his first seven games.
Since then, he has gone on a bit of a scoring spree, netting a further six goals and assisting two in all competitions.
This is good going for the youngster who is by no means a regular starter for Thomas Hitzlspereger’s side.
The now 20-year-old is clearly still raw, and will hit the ground running with consistent game time.
Congo striker’s stats are good for his age and position in context
Celtic fans wouldn’t begrudge similar numbers if they came from the likes of Patryk Klimala or Vakoun Bayo who are in a similar position this season.
The Hoops would have been an ideal place for Wamangituka to learn his trade, similar to another former raw starlet in Odsonne Edouard.
It has to be said at this early stage, Lennon has made a huge blunder by not bringing Wamangituka in.
Stuttgart are in the race for promotion back to the top flight this season, where Wamangituka could excel.
Celtic are usually the masters in unearthing unknown gems and developing them.
Wamangituka could perhaps be the first of the aspiring French based stars that got away from the Scottish champions.
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