Reported Crystal Palace and Celtic target Bright Osayi-Samuel is ‘destined for the Premier League’, Queens Park Rangers manager Mark Warburton has told Capital Football.
It is almost a year to do the day since one of the quickest forwards in the Football League produced a moment of eye-popping magic to announce himself as a force to be reckoned with at Championship level.
But Birmingham City, who were on the wrong end of Osayi-Samuel’s Ryan Giggs-style wonder-goal in December 2019, are hardly the only team to have been ripped apart by the QPR talisman in the last 12 months.
The former Blackpool youngster scored another stunning effort against Rotherham United last week and, with his contract expiring next summer, speculation is set to go into overdrive ahead of the January transfer window.
The Scottish Sun report that Celtic are planning to sign the £5 million-rated speed-machine on a pre-contract agreement.
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, have tracked Osayi-Samuel for a year and could raid Loftus Road again for Eberechi Eze’s one-time teammate.
“Brighty knows what I think of him and I hope very much that (the contract situation) can be resolved because he’s developing as a player at QPR and I think he’s enjoying his football at QPR. I hope very much that that will continue,” Warburton said after Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Bristol City.
“I say to the players, ‘enjoy being good’ whatever you do and I think he’s enjoying being a very good player, simple as that.
“I said at the start of the season that he’d benefit from another season at QPR. I think he’s destined for the Premier League, hopefully with QPR, but he needs to keep developing, keep learning the game and tonight I think we saw him developing and learning.”
It remains to be seen if Celtic or Palace make serious offers in January, or whether they will instead wait until Osayi-Samuel’s contract expires on July 1.
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