You just can’t hide away from the drama at Celtic.
The season itself has been chaotic beyond belief, the month of January has also been troublesome, and it’s being proven by the lack of activity in the transfer market.
Yes, Celtic were right to sack Wilfried Nancy and also boot out Paul Tisdale, but the timing of their exits has meant that the Hoops have had to ditch quite a lot of their transfer plans, restart again, and now it seems miss out on some crucial transfer targets.
Everyone has seen or heard the talk around West Ham United striker Callum Wilson, and now Frank McAvennie has offered a lowdown on what could have been for Celtic.
Do you agree with Neil Lennon?
When Celtic could have signed Callum Wilson from West Ham United
Wilson signed for West Ham in the summer after his contract at Newcastle United expired, and it seems as though he put pen to paper on some kind of pay-as-you-play deal.
That’s because the 33-year-old has been ravaged with injuries for far too long now, and it’s why, as the Hammers battle Premier League relegation, were looking to offload him during the January transfer window.
Speaking on his Let Me Be Frank Podcast, McAvennie explained that had Celtic made a move for Wilson ‘two weeks ago’, then he is confident he would have been wearing the green and white colours by now.
Simon Houston: “The one person who isn’t coming to Celtic, we know now, and is staying put at West Ham, is Callum Wilson.”
McAvennie: “Listen, if we had made the move two weeks ago, you would have got him. If Celtic said, ‘Look, come to us.’ He was on a free. They could have got him out.
“Now, all of a sudden, he (Nuno Espirito Santo) has put him back into the team, and he is scoring goals.
“He’s a born goalscorer. If you keep him fit. I thought between him and Iheanacho. One gets fit one week, one gets fit another. We could have used them.”
And now West Ham block Wilson from leaving…
To be fair, at the start of the month, Nancy was still in the building, and Celtic were looking at long-term targets.
But given the mess of the whole season, with Martin O’Neill in charge now, it’s understandable that short-term options are being looked at.
Either way, during that period, Wilson has gone from watching West Ham sign two strikers for nearly £50 million, not making the matchday squad for a crucial relegation match against Nottingham Forest, and then an FA Cup tie against Championship side Queens Park Rangers.
To coming off the bench over the weekend and scoring the winner as West Ham beat Tottenham in the last minute.
And surprise, surprise, reports now suggest that the Hammers are going to ‘block’ any exit of their much-wanted forward, according to BBC Sport.
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