Why Celtic signing Veron Parkes would be a good move for the future
According to a report from Football Insider (h/t The Scotsman), Celtic are interested in signing West Ham United’s teenage forward Veron Parkes in the summer.
However, the Hoops will face competition from a host of clubs including AS Monaco and Heerenveen in the race for the 18-year-old. The youngster is keen on a move away in order to play first-team football. (h/t The Scotsman)
Parkes came through the youth ranks at Crystal Palace before making the switch to the West Ham youth setup in December 2017. Having broken into the U18 side in 2018, the youngster has made a huge impression already.
So far, he has made 41 appearances, scoring 22 goals in the process. The 18-year-old has also appeared sporadically for the U23 side, scoring 3 goals in 7 matches.
Celtic, meanwhile, were crowned the champions of Scotland for the 9th consecutive season. The SPFL made the decision to end the campaign prematurely due to the coronavirus pandemic, awarding the Hoops the league title. They have already won the Scottish League Cup and are in contention for the Scottish FA Cup as well.
Celtic’s need for reinforcements in attack
Star striker Odsonne Edouard has been the chief driving force behind the Hoops’ unrivalled success in the domestic scenes this season. The former PSG ace has plundered 27 goals and 19 assists in 45 matches across all competitions.
However, the Hoops are staring at the possibility of losing the 22-year-old, with a flurry of interest from a number of clubs in the Premier League. Apart from Edouard and Leigh Griffiths, Celtic do not have the requisite firepower in the centre-forward department.
Vakoun Issouf Bayo has hardly made the desired impact since joining the club last year, while January signing Patryk Klimala is yet to open his goalscoring account as well. Hence, strengthening the department this summer would serve them well, more so if Edouard ends up leaving.
And, to that end, bringing in Parkes would work out well for the Hoops this summer. The 18-year-old has been a prolific scorer for the West Ham U18s and has impressed in his brief spell with the U23s as well.
In the 2019/20 campaign, Parkes has featured in 19 matches for the U18s and the U23s combined. The youngster has bagged 13 goals and 6 assists in these games, showing his clinical nature in front of goal.
At 18, he is still a raw talent. But both Moussa Dembele and Odsonne Edouard were of a similar age when they joined Celtic.
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Verdict
Parkes, in his youth career so far, has made a solid impression. A prolific goalscorer, the youngster would add more depth to the centre-forward department at Celtic. And with experience, he can grow into their leading marksman in a few years. Hence, the Bhoys should try to lure the West Ham starlet to Celtic Park this summer.
