Celtic Opinion: Patrick Twumasi would be the ideal replacement for loanees Oliver Burke and Weah at Parkhead
According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic have been credited with an interest in Ghanaian international attacker Patrick Twumasi in the summer transfer window, with manager Neil Lennon reportedly looking to bolster his attacking ranks.
This is not the first time that the 25-year-old has been linked with a move to Parkhead, with The Scottish Sun claiming that Twumasi was on Celtic’s radar last summer prior to his move to La Liga side Deportivo Alaves.
Alaves enjoyed an impressive campaign in the La Liga this past season but Twumasi’s time proved to be an ill-fated one, as the 25-year-old failed to start a single game in the league and was restricted to just 11 substitute appearances.
Quite clearly, things haven’t worked out for him at Alaves and The Scottish Sun understands that the La Liga outfit are prepared to cut their losses on the Ghanaian this summer by getting him off their books. And, Twumasi’s imminent availability has seemingly put Celtic on red alert once again, with the Hoops currently looking for new options in the market to add depth to all areas of their squad.
Twumasi, however, is hardly an unknown entity to the Celtic fans, given his feat of scoring a double against the Hoops in the Champions League playoffs back in 2017.
The Ghanaian, then with Kazakhstan Premier League side FC Astana, netted twice in his club’s 4-3 victory over Celtic in the second leg, as Brendan Rodgers’ side were made to sweat, despite carrying a 5-0 advantage from the first leg.
Twumasi snubbed a move to Celtic last summer, but with Alaves ready to cash in on him this time around, a move to Parkhead looks likely to materialize for the Ghanaian ace. The 25-year-old made a name for himself at Spartaks Jurmala in the Latvian top-flight and spent time on loan at Amkar Perm in Russia before making his move to Kazakh heavyweights FC Astana in 2015.
The Ghanaian reached great heights during his spell at Astana and went on to register a staggering 63 goals and 29 assists in 158 appearances for the Kazakh giants over the course of three full seasons.
Twumasi bagged 5 goals and 2 assists in 8 appearances to propel Astana to the Round-of-32 of the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League and his heroics at the continental stage caught the eye of La Liga outfit Alaves, who swooped for him last summer.
To put things into perspective, Patrick Twumasi might not be a world-beater but he certainly fits the bill at Parkhead. Celtic have no reason to be put off by his struggles in the La Liga, and his prolific record at his previous club FC Astana should prompt the Hoops to make a move for him.
The 25-year-old has scored against them, so they would probably know what a dangerous player he can be with his pace and skills.
Essentially a right-winger by trade, Twumasi is capable of operating on either flank, through the centre as a supporting striker and also up front as the leader of the attack.
A robust wide player noted for his good close control and body balance, the 25-year-old’s key attributes are his lightning pace, incredible acceleration, quick feet and silky dribbling skills, whilst his clinical finishing also adds to his value as a versatile and explosive attacker.
While reinforcements at centre-back and right-back continue to be high on Lennon’s recruitment list for the summer, Celtic also need to look at a few versatile attacking options in the market in a bid to replace the likes of Oliver Burke and Timothy Weah.
The departure of both the loanees has left the club short of options in the final third, with January recruit Vakoun Issouf Bayo also struggling to make a name for himself due to injuries.
Odsonne Edouard remains a key part of Celtic’s plans moving forward but Lennon needs to increase competition for places up top, with Leigh Griffiths hardly playing a significant role last term.
Twumasi’s versatility to play in multiple areas across the attacking third should make him a valuable asset to Celtic and the manager might as well look at him as a back-up for the likes of regular wide players James Forrest and Scott Sinclair.
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The Hoops will be expected to make it nine-in-a-row in the Scottish Premiership over arch-rivals Rangers and they need to ensure that they have all their bases covered heading into the upcoming campaign.
Keeping that in mind, the acquisition of Patrick Twumasi should be a perfect start to the summer for the club, as they look to complete yet another treble next term.
