Should the West Bromwich Albion winger interest the Celtic manager this winter?
It is no secret that West Bromwich Albion winger James McClean is a big Celtic fan.
In it, McClean was writing a text and narrator Duffy joked that it was a message to Brendan Rodgers asking the Hoops manager to bring him to Glasgow.
It goes without saying that the moment was simply a bit of banter from the Brighton centre-back, but you wonder if a move to Paradise makes sense for both parties.
The 28-year-old will have 18 months to go on his West Brom contract by the time January comes around and it isn’t unthinkable that he would consider a move away when the window re-opens – especially considering he hasn’t started a Premier League match for the Baggies since mid-August – and particularly if Celtic come knocking.
With Jonny Hayes struggling in a big way to justify his £1.3 million move from Aberdeen, it’s also not unthinkable that Rodgers would trade in the 30-year-old for a better and younger model in January.
Celtic are unlikely to be a Champions League team beyond January but they might very well be a Europa League one if they can pip Anderlecht – whom they beat 3-0 in Belgium last month – to third spot in a group also involving Bayern and PSG.
Strength in depth will be key if they have designs on enjoying a good run in that competition whilst balancing their domestic commitments, and McClean is simply a much better option to have in the squad than Hayes.
According to Transfermarkt, the West Brom man is worth around £2.6 million – or €3 million. He would cost twice as much as Hayes but, then again, he is twice the player.
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