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‘He would’ve made the difference’: Tam McManus really wishes Celtic had signed £16m player this summer
Celtic were believed to be looking to add a striker to their ranks this summer. There were a number of players linked but, ultimately, the club didn’t add a number nine to their squad.
With the Champions League campaign upcoming and a gruelling domestic schedule ahead, the prospect of entering the new season with Hyeongyu Oh as a backup to Kyogo didn’t fill the Celtic supporters with confidence.
And that is not a slight on the Korean striker. He’s just not had enough gametime to get his sharpness up. However, not adding a quality striker could cost Celtic in the Champions League and pundit, Tam McManus, believes Celtic should have signed , Daniel Podence, to help their chances in the competition.
McManus said [], “They needed a striker. They were heavily linked with Podence at Wolves, the winger. I think he would have made a difference.
“I think he’s a quality player. He’s just outwith Celtic’s price range but Celtic wouldn’t pay the wages. Celtic wouldn’t pay the wages but those types of guys would maybe have got them a win and maybe get them into the Europa League or second place.
“But Celtic are not prepared to do that and that’s fine. That’s a policy at the club but I just think that Celtic in the final third are just not good enough at this level.�/p>
Celtic were heavily linked with the Portuguese winger this summer but he wound up signing for Greek side, Olympiacos.
Whether Podence would have made a difference to Celtic’s qualifications hopes is debatable. In 105 appearances for Wolves, Podence only managed to score 16 goals and create nine assists.
However, he does seem to be enjoying a rich vein of form at his new club with four goals and three assists in his first six games. []
Predominantly used on the left wing, Podence would be competing with Daizen Maeda for that spot unless Rodgers shoehorned them both into the starting lineup.
And if Celtic did bring in Podence, it would be highly unlikely that the fans would be enjoying Luis Palma at this moment in time.
As always in football, it’s all about opinions. However, would Celtic really have stood a greater chance in the Champions League with Podence in their squad? Unfortunately, we will never know.
In other news, ‘Miles ahead� Pundit says Celtic will be ‘out of sight�of Rangers with incoming £60m windfall