Celtic given transfer dilemma for Crystal Palace ace as deal disagreements trigger summer window deja vu
EFL Championship sides Swansea City and Stoke City are also interested in the winger.
Martin O’Neill is looking to sign a Crystal Palace star on loan who Celtic also looked at in the summer transfer window.
Chants of ‘sign a player’ echoed around Rugby Park on Sunday afternoon in The Hoops’ Scottish Cup win against Auchinleck Talbot, as supporters are becoming increasingly frustrated at the club’s lack of transfer movement. On the pitch, Celtic got the job done, but would’ve liked to have put a few more past sixth tier opposition, having only won 2-0.
While the Ayrshire clash further justified O’Neill’s desperation for a new number nine, the Celtic boss is also looking to strengthen in other attacking areas, however, he is yet to acquire any squad additions. The Hoops are now after a Premier League star, who Brendan Rodgers expressed an interest in during the summer, but there are a few obstacles in the way.
Celtic reignite loan interest for Crystal Palace ace
The club are looking at signing Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi on loan. The 23-year old has been unable to break into the squad at Selhurst Park, however has had three recent short-term spells at Charlton Athletic, Sheffield United and Caykur Rizespor respectively.
According to CeltsAreHere: “Celtic are keen on bringing the winger to Glasgow until the end of the season, having tracked him since last summer and maintained dialogue with Palace throughout that period. However, the Scottish champions face stiff competition for the 23-year-old’s signature, with both Swansea City and Stoke City also expressing interest and that competition may prove decisive.”
Rak-Sakyi spent the entirety of last season on loan at Sheffield United where he scored seven goals and contributed two assists as the Blades narrowly missed out on promotion to the English Premier League after losing to Sunderland in the play-off final. The Englishman hasn’t been quite as prolific in his spell in Turkey for the first half of the season, but is still a player very much on O’Neill’s radar.
Structure of deal giving Hoops dilemma
While Celtic want to acquire Rak-Sakyi on a loan deal with an option to buy, Palace would prefer if their was an ‘obligation’ to buy clause in any short term agreement he may sign. This has previously happened with Swansea, who wanted a similar deal in the summer but had it rejected by the player.
With Jota out until the end of the season and Daizen Maeda currently being deployed through the middle, The Hoops are in need of reinforcements on the flanks. Sebastian Tounekti got on the scoresheet against Talbot but has been inconsistent of late, while Celtic have been heavily reliant on Yang Hyun-jun, who has been a revelation this season despite previous criticism.