Despite reports of a big money Premier League move, Celtic appear hopeful of luring Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen to the Scottish Premiership.
You can see why a move to Celtic would appeal to Joe Allen this summer.
After all, it would allow him to reunite with Brendan Rodgers, the manager who kick-started his career at Swansea City and then brought him to Liverpool in the summer of 2012.
And, despite links with other Premier League clubs, Celtic would perhaps be Allen’s only route into playing Champions League football, not to mention fighting for silverware next season.
The Gambling Times states that Allen is indeed interested in a move north of the border but it is far from certain that a deal is legitimately possible. Recent reports in the Sun tipped the 28-year-old to move this summer for a fee of around £20 million, which is surely out Celtic’s price-range.
But if Celtic were somehow able to strike a deal with Stoke, who paid Liverpool £13 million for Allen in 2016, would he be the best player in the whole of Scottish football?
The Hoops boast a number of players who would probably have little trouble fitting into Premier League sides, namely Moussa Dembele, Scott Brown and Kieran Tierney, but Allen has proven himself as one of the most impressive, underrated midfielders in England’s top flight in two seasons at Stoke.
He would walk into Celtic’s midfield, and that of any other side in the country, and immediately take the Hoops a substantial step towards another league title, regardless of the ambition shown by their Glasgow neighbours Rangers.
For now, however, working out a fee will remain the top priority.
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