Celtic are in the market to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch before the January transfer window officially slams shut at the start of next month.
The Hoops have recently been linked with an interest in Lille centre-forward Mohamed Bayo to come in and compete with Adam Idah and Kyogo Furuhashi in the number nine position.
They are also reportedly considering a move to sign Real Valladolid winger Raul Moro to add to their options on the wing, whilst the Scottish Premiership leaders are said to have held talks to land Brondby forward Mathias Kvistgaarden.
One of Celtic’s transfer targets for the winter window, however, appears to be increasingly difficult to get a deal over the line for, with the latest update on their pursuit of a Premier League forward.
Celtic told to pay big money for transfer target
According to Football Insider, the Hoops will need to pay a ‘big fee’ if they want to sign Louie Barry on a permanent deal from Aston Villa this month.
The report claims that several clubs want to sign the winger and that it will take a huge offer to convince the Villans to part ways with him on a permanent basis, as their current plan is to assess him in training before potentially loaning him out for the second half of the season.
It does not reveal how much money it would take to tempt the Premier League side into cashing in on Barry, but the Daily Mail recently reported that Celtic made an offer of £5m, with £5m in add-ons, for the 21-year-old.
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Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not that £10m bid is the ‘big fee’ that Villa are looking for, the Scottish giants should push hard to bring the Englishman to Parkhead before the end of the window because he could be an upgrade on Daizen Maeda.
Why Celtic should sign Louie Barry
Firstly, Barry would come in as a 21-year-old prospect with plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve over the years to come, which means that he would be a long-term asset on the pitch and as a possible future sale for profit.
Also, the English forward spent the first half of the season on loan with Stockport County in League One, the division that Matt O’Riley was once signed from, and caught the eye with his impressive performances at the top end of the pitch.
Barry, whose composure was once hailed as “incredible” by Declan Rice, is a right-footed left winger who has excelled at coming infield to score fantastic goals this term, as you can see in the clip above.
Appearances
23
20
Goals
15
5
Big chances missed
6
12
Big chances created
5
5
Assists
2
5
As you can see in the table above, the Villa youngster showcased his quality in the final third with a staggering return of 20 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 23 League One outings.
These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Barry to come in and offer Brendan Rodgers an upgrade on Maeda, because of his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis – something the Japan international has struggled badly with.
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Therefore, Celtic should consider upping the bid of £10m they have already made to sign him for a ‘big fee’ before the end of the window, due to the potential quality that he could provide on the pitch for the Hoops in the second half of the campaign.
