Celtic are back in action in the Scottish Premiership once again this evening as they prepare to travel away from Glasgow to take on Dundee.
The Hoops can move 18 points clear at the top of the table if they manage to secure all three points, before their rivals are in action in the division on Wednesday.
Brendan Rodgers’ side are cruising towards their fourth straight title and second in successions under the Northern Irish head coach, who returned to the club in the summer of 2023.
The Scottish giants head into this game off the back of a 4-1 thumping of Ross County at the weekend, thanks to a brace from Kyogo Furuhashi and goals from Arne Engels and Luke McCowan in stoppage time.
Whilst Rodgers will be focusing on league matches and maintain the healthy gap between themselves and Rangers, the Celtic boss will also have one eye on the January transfer window.
The former Liverpool boss is in the market to add more quality to his squad, particularly in the attacking areas of the pitch, and is reportedly looking at a forward from England.
Celtic eyeing English forward
According to Football Insider, Rodgers is lining up a Celtic swoop to sign Aston Villa forward Louie Barry from the Premier League side in the January transfer window.
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The report claims that the Scottish giants are interested in a deal to bring the 21-year-old to Parkhead and that they are keen on landing him on a permanent deal, rather than a loan.
It states that Middlesbrough and Leeds United, from the English Championship, are also looking to snap up the Villans youngster, but they are in the market to sign him on loan until the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Football Insider adds that Celtic are considering a bid to sign him permanently, as they look to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch in the long-term, although there is no mention of how much they would be willing to pay for his services.
Previous reports have suggested that he could cost around £12.5m, a fee that would eclipse the club record of £11m to sign Arne Engels.
The report reveals that the Hoops want Barry as they are pursuing a new left winger to come in, with Luis Palma on the verge of a move away from Parkhead this week.
Luis Palma's Celtic form this season
Football Insider claims that the Honduras international is set to sign for Spanish side Rayo Vallecano on an initial loan deal, which means that Celtic would be a man light on the left side of the attack.
It is no surprise to see that the club have allowed the former Aris star to move on from Paradise this month, however, as it has been a difficult season for the winger, with a lack of game time in the Premiership.
After a return of seven goals and nine assists in 28 matches in the 2023/24 campaign, Palma was unable to kick on and make himself a regular starter for the Hoops this term.
Appearances
7
Starts
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Big chances created
1
As you can see in the table above, he only started one of his seven appearances in the Premiership and failed to contribute to a single goal or assist for the team.
Therefore, it makes sense for Celtic and Rodgers to send him away to Rayo Vallecano on loan for the second half of the season, so he can play regular football and the club can bring in a suitable replacement.
The Premiership champions could, now, perfectly replace Palma by securing a permanent deal for Barry, who could come in as Gary Hooper 2.0, as another right-footed attacker who plays on the left wing.
Why Celtic should sign Louie Barry
The Scottish giants have had success in signing players who have thrived in the English lower leagues in the past – they signed Matt O’Riley from League One outfit MK Dons – and one of the most notable examples was Hooper.
In the summer of 2010, Celtic swooped to sign the English striker from Scunthorpe United after he had plundered 50 goals in 95 appearances in all competitions.
The centre-forward then went on to score 82 goals in 138 matches for the Hoops in all competitions before his move to Premier League side Norwich City in the summer of 2014.
Celtic could repeat that feat by signing another impressive goalscorer from the lower leagues in England, albeit Barry was only on loan in League One from top-flight outfit Aston Villa.
The 21-year-old starlet, who was described as a “huge talent” by pundit Carlton Palmer, spent the first half of this season on loan with Stockport County in the third division of English football and caught the eye with his fantastic performances.
He had produced nine goals and four assists in 17 starts in League Two last season, whilst on loan from Villa, and successfully made the step up to League One.
Appearances
23
Goals
15
Big chances missed
6
Big chances created
5
Assists
2
Dribbles completed per game
2.3
As you can see in the table above, Barry provided a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch with his ability to score goals and create ‘big chances’ for his teammates from a left wing position.
He is also a direct and exciting player, as shown by his dribbles completed per match, and this suggests that he could create chances for himself by taking opposition defenders on in the final third.
These statistics suggest that the potential is there for him to offer a huge goalscoring threat for the Hoops and follow in the footsteps of Hooper, as another English youngster to come to Scotland and thrive after impressing in England’s lower leagues.
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They also show that he could perfectly replace Palma by providing goals and assists from the flank, which is something the Rayo Vallecano target has failed to do this season.