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Celtic have knocked back Stoke City’s loan offer for Lewis Morgan, .
Stoke wanted to sign Morgan on loan to help their survival bid. The Potters have just appointed Michael O’Neill as their new manager and he is a big fan of Morgan.
Currently, Stoke are in the relegation zone in the Championship. But earning four points in their last two games has boosted their hopes of staying up. With the halfway point coming up, Stoke are just two points away from safety.
O’Neill has drawn up his list of targets and Morgan features. He wanted to sign the 23-year-old on loan from Celtic but Neil Lennon’s men are not interested.
Morgan has played 18 games this season, scoring twice and providing three assists. Naturally a winger, he has been playing as a striker in recent weeks due to injuries in that department.
Last season, the Scotland international spent time with his former St Mirren boss Jack Ross at Sunderland. But he will not be returning to England. Morgan wants to fight for his Celtic spot and Director of Football Nicky Hammond has told Stoke that he is not available for loan.
TBR’s view
Morgan is stuck in a predicament at Celtic. He is not as good as the other attacking midfielders such as Ryan Christie, James Forrest and Mikey Johnston. But he is not naturally a striker.
With Odsonne Edouard, Vakoun Issouf Bayo and Leigh Griffiths all struggling with injuries this year, Morgan was given a chance as a centre-forward. He has given it a go and not done badly at times but it is not his favoured position.