Celtic are now fearing that competition from West Ham United could derail their move to sign an impressive 17-goal attacker for Martin O’Neill.
O’Neill: Celtic “still fighting” despite “setback”
After two late wins in two, O’Neill admitted that Celtic couldn’t keep leaving it late if they want to keep up with Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Now, a week on, the experienced manager has been proved right. What looked like resilience and character against Kilmarnock and Livingston turned into weakness against Hibernian as the visitors struck late hand the Bhoys yet another title blow.
That defeat has left Celtic six points behind Hearts and two behind Old Firm rivals Rangers with a game in hand on both. At this stage, the title is in Hearts’ hands, but O’Neill isn’t giving up.
He told reporters: “It’s a setback. We are far from finished. Domestically it’s a tough ask for us but we’re still there fighting. We played some really fantastic football. We went in 1-1 at half-time and we should probably have been in front.
“The sending-off has a big affect. We had the momentum at that stage. We had some chances second half and if you don’t put them away, there’s a possibility at the other end.”
He played 0 mins vs Hibs: Celtic dud is an even bigger flop than Balikwisha
This Celtic player who did not play against Hibernian on Sunday looks like an even bigger flop than Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
Serious questions will be asked of the Celtic board at the end of the season following such a tumultuous campaign. They’ll have to answer demands around recruitment and, perhaps more so, about their managerial search which featured Wilfried Nancy’s disastrous tenue.
Whether it’s O’Neill in charge next season or another name, the Hoops must back their manager with investment this summer – starting with adding an attacking spark.
To that end, the likes of Tomas Cvancara could yet arrive permanently and he could be joined by an impressive strike partner in Armando Gonzalez.
Celtic and West Ham battling to sign Gonzalez
According to reports in Mexico, as relayed by Sport Witness, Celtic are now racing to sign Gonzalez alongside West Ham. The Bhoys desperately need a new talisman to lead the line next season and it’s clear to see why the Deportivo Guadalajara striker is on their shortlist.
The same can be said for West Ham. The Hammers solved part of their problem by signing Taty Castellanos in the January transfer window, but another option certainly wouldn’t go amiss with Callum Wilson’s contract coming to an end this summer.
Just who wins the race to sign the forward is the big question. Celtic will be fearful that interest from the Premier League will sway Gonzalez, but there is yet to be a concrete move from either club.
Having scored 17 goals in just 24 games in all competitions this season, to say that the 22-year-old is a pure goalscorer would be an understatement. Provide him with the chance and his form in Mexico suggests that he’ll have no trouble finding the back of the net.
The Hoops are facing a tumultuous summer.
After such a disappointing campaign, signing Gonzalez would be the perfect way for both West Ham and Celtic to commence their summer transfer windows.