Why Steven Fletcher could be a smart signing for Celtic
According to the Daily Record, Celtic has been linked with a move for veteran Scottish striker Steven Fletcher, who is currently a free agent following his release from Sheffield Wednesday.
The 33-year-old is looking for a new club after rejecting a deal at Hillsborough and has already received offers from as many as four EFL Championship outfits. (h/t Daily Record)
Hoops boss Neil Lennon is on the lookout for at least another striker to beef up his artillery heading into the 2020-21 campaign and has identified Fletcher as one of the potential targets alongside the likes of West Ham’s Albian Ajeti and Peterborough United’s Ivan Toney. (h/t Daily Record)
Celtic, though, have made it clear that they will not be dragged into a bidding war to match long-term offers from rivals south of the border in their pursuit of Fletcher, who is admired by Lennon for his exploits in English football.
Profile
Having started his professional career at Hibernian back in 2004 before venturing across the border to join Burnley in 2009, Fletcher is very much a household name in Scotland as well as in England.
The Shrewsbury-born striker was previously a force to reckon with in the Premier League, having netted an impressive 53 goals in 189 combined appearances for Burnley, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Sunderland.
Fletcher also had a brief loan spell at Marseille in France towards the end of his days at Sunderland before dropping down to join Championship heavyweights Sheffield Wednesday in 2016.
The old-school marksman bagged 38 goals in 136 appearances for the Owls and finished as the club’s top-scorer in the Championship with 13 goals last term before reaching the end of his contract. A Scotland international since 2008, Fletcher has scored 10 goals in 33 appearances for his national team.
Why Celtic need him
As mentioned earlier, Lennon is looking to bolster his attacking firepower with at least another striker to compete with Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths for a place up top.
While Edouard’s 21-goal haul in the league was instrumental in Celtic’s ninth straight domestic triumph last term, Griffiths proved himself as an able deputy with a decent contribution of 9 goals in the Scottish Premiership.
Patryk Klimala found the net in the recent 5-1 demolition of Hamilton on the opening day of the 2020-21 campaign but he’s yet to establish himself as a regular fixture following his January switch from Poland.
With Vakoun Issouf Bayo expected to go out on loan after struggling for playtime (h/t Daily Record) and Edouard linked with an exit, an experienced veteran like Fletcher could add a lot of value to the squad moving forward.
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Verdict
At 33, Steven Fletcher seems well past his Premier League days but given that he still managed a decent tally in the Championship last season, Celtic are well within their rights to consider him as a realistic short-term fix.
Considering the drop in quality and intensity, a return to Scottish football for the first time in over a decade could help prolong Fletcher’s professional career. He is a striker who has scored loads of goals wherever he has been, and his experience could well make a world of difference as Celtic prepare themselves for a record 10th straight league title.
