Celtic departure imminent for £2m academy graduate who was once compared to Abdoulaye Doucouré
Celtic youngster Bosun Lawal is on his way to England to complete a medical with Stoke City as he edges closer to a move to Steven Schumacher’s Championship side.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdFootball Scotland understands that the Hoops have agreed to sell the 21-year-old for a fee in the region of £2m following an impressive season-long loan spell with Fleetwood Town in League One.
Lawal, who was signed by former Hoops legend Scott Brown, played 42 times for the Cod Army and was a bright spark in the team with six league goals despite their relegation to League Two.
The Republic of Ireland U21 international has been the books at Celtic since 2021 when the Parkhead side beat the likes of Chelsea, Fulham and Norwich City to the youngster’s signature.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdLawal arrived at Celtic with great hype after Troy Deeney compared the youngster to Abdoulaye Doucouré during a training session at Watford. Despite arriving in Glasgow as a midfielder, he largely played in the centre back role at B team level for the Hoops. He represented the first team on just one occasion when Ange Postecoglou gave him a brief cameo from the bench in a 5-0 victory over Greenock Morton en route to winning the Scottish Cup.
The 21-year-old is set to leave Celtic for a significant profit and is expected to sign a three-year contract at the Bet365 stadium. Stoke City finished last season in 17th position and will kick off the new campaign with a challenging away test at home to last season’s FA Cup semi-finalists Coventry City.
Lawal, whose fee could rise to £3m depending on performance related add-ons, is unlikely to play in the first game as his deal gets completed. However, he could begin training with his new teammates in time to face Carlisle United in an away League Cup tie on Tuesday 13 August.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.