‘No-brainer’: Is Rekeem Harper right to choose West Brom over Celtic?

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Scottish Premiership champions Celtic reportedly tried and failed to sign Rekeem Harper from Slaven Bilic’s West Bromwich Albion.

Celtic’s hopes of signing Rekeem Harper are over. And West Bromwich Albion manager Slaven Bilic believes the teenager’s decision to commit his future to The Baggies instead was simply a ‘no brainer’, speaking to the club’s official website.

The Scottish Premiership champions might have spent £10 million this summer on Luca Connell, Christopher Jullien and Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo but that does not mean they will be totally content with how things have gone in the transfer market.

After a £3.25 million deal to sign David Turnbull collapsed when the Motherwell starlet failed his medical, the Daily Record reported that Celtic were ‘likely’ to sign Harper instead.

But he too slipped through their grasp. The highly-rated 19-year-old spurned interest from Scotland to sign a new three-year deal with West Brom. And Bilic clearly believes Harper has made the right decision – why wouldn’t he?

“I had a chat with him and his agent and I really think it was a no-brainer for a player who is looking to have a good path, a good opportunity and platform long-term in his career,” said the former Croatia boss.

“He knows the club, he knows the area. Last year he played a reasonable amount, a lot maybe for his first season. It was not hard for me to persuade him.

“It was his priority to think about his career, and this is the best place for him to be.”

Bilic might be right after all. Harper has become a key player for West Brom since the turn of the year and he should go from strength to strength under the one-time West Ham boss, who’s attacking style will suit the teenager down to the ground.

And maybe Celtic didn’t need an attacking midfielder after all. In Mikey Johnston and Ryan Christie, Neil Lennon already has two of the brightest creative talents in Scottish football on their books.

So perhaps Harper made the right call after all. Forcing his way into Celtic’s midfield, at the expense of Christie or Callum McGregor, would have been easier said than done.