Celtic have now reportedly been “made aware” of an opportunity to sign Raheem Sterling from Chelsea in the January transfer window, with the winger still frozen out at Stamford Bridge.
It’s a busy time for the Hoops, who were thrown into chaos when Brendan Rodgers made an unexpected decision to resign earlier this season – sparking the return of Martin O’Neill on an interim basis.
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Since then, the 73-year-old has turned back the clock to get Celtic back on track and send the rumour mill into overdrive that he could yet extend his second stint in charge of the club.
O’Neill, however, has often distanced himself from the permanent job and candidates such as Wilfried Nancy and Kjetil Nkutsen are beginning to emerge as potential options to take the reins.
The next two weeks should be crucial for Celtic in their managerial search, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll have a new name in charge by the time that the international break comes to an end.
If their search is ongoing, then O’Neill has reiterated that he’ll be happy to stick around until the club no longer need his services – telling reporters: “I will be here as long as the football board wants me, it’s as simple as that.”
Of course, whoever is in charge will have plenty of work to do in the January transfer window, with Celtic in need of reinforcements and a number of potential options already coming to the fore.
Celtic "made aware" of Raheem Sterling option
As Graeme Bailey told 67 Hail Hail, Celtic have now been “made aware” of the chance to sign Sterling in January, as Chelsea continue to give the four-time Premier League winner the cold shoulder in West London.
Without an appearance all season, the former Manchester City winger desperately needs a move this winter, but must face up to the reality of a significant pay-cut if he is to move onto a club like Celtic. As things stand, Sterling earns an eye-watering £16.9m-a-year at Chelsea.
To put that figure into context, Celtic’s record signing, Adam Idah cost them £11m so, in one swoop, Sterling’s wages alone would beat the Bhoys’ record transfer fee and that’s simply not doable in Glasgow. The Chelsea man will need to make a major sacrifice.
There would also be question marks over Sterling’s ability to make an instant impact. Although former Chelsea boss Graham Potter dubbed the winger “excellent” during his time at the club, those days are long gone and he hasn’t played a senior game since a loan spell at Arsenal last season. Even if he were to halve his salary, it would be an expensive gamble for Celtic.
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