Why Celtic should go all out for Bright Osayi-Samuel in January
According to the Daily Mail (h/t Daily Record), Celtic boss Neil Lennon has identified in-demand Queens Park Rangers winger Bright Osayi-Samuel as a priority transfer target in the January window.
The 22-year-old, who is set to enter the last six months of his contract at Loftus Road, has also attracted interest from Rangers, Club Brugge and Crystal Palace but Celtic are keen to get a deal over the line immediately. (Daily Mail h/t Daily Record)
Profile
Born in Nigeria, Bright Osayi-Samuel migrated to England at a young age and started his footballing education at Blackpool. He made his senior debut in the Championship during the 2014-15 season and subsequently featured for the Seasiders in League One and League Two in the following campaigns.
The 22-year-old earned a move to QPR in the second tier back in 2017 and quickly established himself as a key squad player for the West London outfit. Osayi-Samuel nailed down a regular starting role at Loftus Road in the previous campaign following the appointment of Mark Warburton at the helm and finished with an impressive tally of 6 goals and 9 assists in 40 appearances across all competitions.
The talented winger has enjoyed a promising start to the ongoing campaign at QPR, registering 2 goals and 2 assists in 16 league appearances so far.
Osayi-Samuel would add more depth to the Hoops’ attack
Celtic’s stranglehold on the domestic throne in Scotland finally seems to be coming to an end. Old Firm rivals Rangers have cashed in on the Hoops’ dip in form to storm to a 13-point lead atop the Scottish Premiership standings, although Neil Lennon’s side have a couple of games in hand. There’s still a long way to go in the season but Rangers are certainly the hot favourites to win the league title for the first time in ten years.
Celtic started the season on a promising note but have seen things fall apart in recent months, largely due to injuries and loss of form. Having won just 4 out of their last 14 games in all competitions, it goes without saying that Lennon has plenty of food for thought heading into the mid-season trading period.
While reinforcements at the back and in goal are expected to be top of the club’s agenda in January, Celtic also need to address problems relating to lack of depth in the wide attacking areas. Lennon has often been caught short on the flanks this term due to the injury to star man James Forrest while Mikey Johnston is still on the comeback trail after spending several months on the sidelines.
With Mohamed Elyounoussi set to return to Southampton at the end of the season, Celtic need to reshape their wide attacking options with one eye on the future. Putting things into context, Bright Osayi-Samuel ticks the box as a quality young player with plenty of room for development.
The 22-year-old has made significant improvements in his game over the past 12 months and looks more than ready to embrace a new challenge north of the border at Parkhead.
Read more
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Verdict
Celtic are in dire need of some impact signings in the January window to get their campaign back on track and Lennon’s interest in Bright Osayi-Samuel certainly strikes the right chords, especially given that his contract his expiring soon.
The Hoops would be well within their rights to attempt a cut-price January move for Bright Osayi-Samuel. With Forrest set to turn 30 at the end of the season, the Hoops have every reason to look at the QPR starlet as a key player moving forward.
