Celtic were linked with striker Gary Hooper over the summer.
Fraser Forster returned to Celtic this summer, and Neil Lennon has since confirmed to The Scottish Sun that he wanted Victor Wanyama back at Parkhead too.
Another ex-Bhoys ace was linked with a return to Parkhead this summer, with The Scottish Sun claiming that Lennon wanted Gary Hooper once again.
Lennon signed Hooper for Celtic in 2010, and when he was released by Sheffield Wednesday this summer, it was thought that Lennon wanted him to return to Glasgow.
However, no move materialised before the end of the transfer window, and whilst Hooper remains a free agent and can still join Celtic, a move now seems very, very unlikely even as he looks to find a new club.
Hooper is now 31 and was only able to manage six games for Wednesday last season, as injuries plagued him yet again, ultimately leading to his Hillsborough exit after four years with the Owls.
It looked like Celtic may have needed another striker to support Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths, and Hooper may have made sense at the time as an experienced third-choice striker who could arrive for free with knowledge of Lennon’s style.
That situation has changed though, as Vakoun Issouf Bayo – signed by Brendan Rodgers from Dunajska Streda in January – has been featuring a little more regularly of late, particularly impressing in a rare start against Hearts and emerging in substitute appearances.
Having been an early misfit under Lennon, Ivorian talent Bayo appears to be earning Lennon’s trust, and erasing any need for a free agent striker to be brought in.
That means Hooper’s Celtic return now looks less likely than ever, and whilst Lennon may still rate the Englishman, the timing and situation just aren’t right for him to make his Parkhead return – even on a free transfer.
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