da dobrowin： As reported by The Daily Record, Celtic’s plans to make a move for Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva could be ruined by an unlikely competitor.
What’s the story?
da mrbet： For some Celtic fans, the idea that they would be competing with teams like Brighton for players would be an affront. The Hoops’ supporters consider themselves one of Europe’s big clubs, capable of great things at home and abroad. As Brendan Rodgers tries to build a team ready to compete in the UEFA Champions League however, there are realities.
Brighton & Hove Albion may not be the biggest of clubs, even in England, but they’ve earned their spot in the top-flight and will now come into unprecedented wealth, likely far surpassing the spending power of Celtic.
We discussed this morning that Celtic held an interest in Lucas Leiva of Liverpool and fresh reports from The Daily Record indicate that their plans could be scuppered by Chris Hughton’s Brighton.
On the hunt for talent in their efforts to make a Premier League splash, the Seagulls need to bolster their midfield and the experienced Lucas offers plenty.
Although the Brazilian is reportedly available on a free this summer, can Celtic compete in terms of wages offered?
Where does his future lie?
After ten years at Liverpool, it appears likely the Brazilian will finally leave Anfield come the summer, although it’s not something that has been confirmed as yet.
As quoted by The Daily Record, Lucas said of his future:
“I just need to wait until the end of the season, work hard and make a decision together with the club. If the time comes for me to go somewhere else, I think I will leave with the feeling that I did everything I could.”
Brendan Rodgers is of course familiar with the 30 year old, it was the Celtic boss who handed him his latest contract with the Reds. Working with Rodgers again would no doubt be attractive but can he resist the temptation to stay in the English top-flight?
The dilemma
The problem Celtic have this summer is finding players of quality that escape the radar of the clubs with big spending power in Europe. That’s obviously where scouting comes in but given every big club in the world has extensive scouting networks, it’s difficult for the Hoops to steal a march on players.
That’s especially true when it comes to established talent like Lucas. Although not considered one of the best players in the Premier League, he still comes with the reputation and wage that puts him out of the Hoops’ reach.
You’d back Celtic to recruit well this summer, but they may find that their first choice targets don’t always come off.