Newcastle United winger Christian Atsu has been linked with a move to Celtic.
Charlie Nicholas has stated in a pretty blunt manner that he doesn’t see rumoured target, Christian Atsu, starting for Celtic, as the Newcastle man is attracting interest from Scottish Premiership champions.
Speaking to Sky Sports News (31/01/20 at 4:45 pm), ex-Celtic man, Nicholas reacted to his former club make a late move for the Newcastle man, but he seemingly sees him as ‘cover’ and ‘nothing else’.
“I don’t see him starting too many games,” Nicholas told Sky Sports. “But he has got pace. Neil Lennon has been active in saying that he wants another winger in. He will be happy with that because Scott Sinclair has left the building.
“Forrest is back fit and young Mickey Johnston just got a bad injury in midweek there. He will probably be happy just to get a replacement in, just in case. It’s cover and nothing else.”
Celtic are in need of a winger before Friday’s cut-off point and a player like Atsu would be more than capable of doing a job for them.
It hasn’t really worked out for the Newcastle man in the Premier League, but he has thrived in the Championship, and a move up to Scotland could help him form – Atsu joined the Magpies from Chelsea on a permanent basis in 2017 after he helped the club to promotion, as reported by The Guardian.
The Bhoys parted ways with Scott Sinclair earlier on this month, and it could be argued that the Englishman has a similar style to the wanted Newcastle man.
Some of Atsu’s best qualities are his pace, directness and trickery on the flank. Added with that, he likes to cut inside, just like Sinclair, and he could be a smart purchase by the club.
But with the hours ticking down and the Friday cut-off point edging ever closer, Celtic don’t have too long to secure a deal for a player like Atsu, or anyone else who can operate on the flanks.
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