The Celtic legend believes that David Marshall would have been a more cost-effective signing for Neil Lennon’s side.
As reported by The Scottish Sun, the Glasgow giants paid £4.5 million as transfer fee to AEK Athens to secure the services of the Greece international goalkeeper in the summer transfer window.
Herald Scotland reported last month of interest in Marshall from Celtic, with The Sun subsequently claiming that the Scotland international may be allowed to leave the DW Stadium on a free this summer, with Wigan Athletic in administration and needing to get players off their books.
Provan wrote in The Scottish Sun: “While we’re at it, did Celts really have to splash £4.5m on a keeper when it could have gone on a striker?
“No harm to Vasilis Barkas but Lennon could have signed David Marshall for free. You’re not telling me Marshall wouldn’t have done Lenny a turn with his track record.
“The former Celt would have been an able replacement for Fraser Forster. Beats me why the Barkas fee wasn’t spent on a frontman when Lennon could be playing with two up this season.”
Celtic transfer unlikely now
The signing of Barkas means that Celtic now have two senior goalkeepers, Scott Bain being the other one.
There is still space for another senior player between the posts, but one suspects that the Glasgow giants will probably use a youth player from the academy for that.
It does seem unlikely that Marshall will move to Celtic now, especially with the goalkeeper telling BBC Sport that he would love to join a club who are “competing at the top of the Championship”.
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