West Ham United are reportedly interested in bringing £15 million-rated Patrick Roberts to the London Stadium.
Roberts has been a superb addition for the Hoops across two spells at Parkhead. While he has not quite been at his best this term, he has still looked a threat every time he gets on the ball, and that should leave Hammers fans feeling extremely excited about the prospect of signing him.
The Irons have a number of exciting players in the squad, but there is probably not too many that tick the same boxes as Roberts. The 21-year-old is someone that constantly wants to get onto the ball before using his trickery to dance past defenders and create chances for his teammates.
Critics of the level that Celtic play at will suggest that Roberts is yet to be tested at a high level, but this is a player who has scored goals in the Champions League – most notably against parent club Manchester City last season – and is young enough to get significantly better in the future.
In some ways, it would perhaps not be too far-fetched to suggest that Roberts could become the kind of player that got the Irons supporters off their seats in the same way Joe Cole used to when he was coming through the ranks at the Boleyn Ground.
Cole was a classy, exciting winger who managed to stand out in a West Ham attack that, in hindsight, looks incredible on paper. And if West Ham manage to win the race to sign Roberts, it may not be out of the question to suggest that he could go on to become the player that the fans want to see getting the ball every time the team need something special to happen.
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