Steve Evans’ Gillingham could lose goalkeeper Joe Walsh with Premier League Everton and Scottish Premiership champions Celtic interested.
Gillingham manager Steve Evans has admitted to Kent Live that both Celtic and Everton are interested in signing his highly-rated goalkeeper Joe Walsh ahead of the January transfer window.
Reporting last month, the Glasgow Evening Times claimed that a teenage shot-stopper was on the radar of clubs on both sides of the border – and it seems that the speculation was absolutely on the money.
Academy graduate Walsh is yet to make his League One debut for The Gills, though he has been included in the matchday squad 18 times while shining in an EFL Trophy clash against Tottenham Hotspur in November, keeping a clean sheet in a virtuoso display.
And the outspoken Evans, never one to keep things quiet, has now broken his silence on the future of one of the Football League’s most promising goalkeeper.
“He is a big asset to us. We know the people that are coming, it’s not made up,” said the former Leeds and Rotherham boss.
“Celtic have been here, Everton have been here, overseas clubs, a couple of German clubs saying they are looking at our young goalkeeper… But there is a difference between looking and being prepared to come back and buy someone.
“He is going to have a wonderful career.”
Walsh still has a lot to learn and the chances are that he will have to prove himself at reserve-team level before being handed a chance in the first-team at Celtic or Everton.
Interestingly, The Hoops appear to have made stockpiling exciting teenagers a priority, signing seven during the summer transfer window while being linked to the likes of Bruno Davidson, Jarrad Branthwaite and Mohammed Daramy (below) in recent weeks.
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