The grass isn’t always greener when you leave a club the size of Celtic.
The Celtic fans, the manager, and those in the boardroom understand when players leave for better financial gain at other European leagues.
For example, Nicolas Kuhn joined Como for just under £17 million during the 2025 summer transfer window.
But Kuhn hasn’t been the only attacking player to depart this summer, with Daniel Cummings joining West Ham United after opting against staying in Glasgow
Cummings’ call to leave, and how it all happened, was rather interesting, and it even got Brendan Rodgers riled up at one stage, but he could already prove to be correct.
Daniel Cummings of Celtic B celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Youth League 2024/25 match between Celtic FC and RB Leipzig at Lesser Hampden
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
West Ham United sign Callum Wilson on a free transfer
This is Graham Potter’s first full season in charge of West Ham United, and he is looking to improve on the team’s woeful campaign last time out when they finished in the bottom half.
One of the areas of concern is the striker department, with the Hammers lacking and having to rely on the injury-prone Niclas Fullkrug.
At the age of 32, you would have probably thought that this was Cummings’ chance to play alongside the experienced striker, after wanting more game time at Celtic.
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But instead of being on West Ham’s pre-season tour of the USA, Cummings is with the U21s, whilst the London club signs 33-year-old Callum Wilson on a free transfer to challange a striker one year younger than him.
What Brendan Rodgers said about Daniel Cummings before Celtic exit
This isn’t a good look for Cummings because West Ham prefer two strikers, over the age of 30 and with injury issues, to lead the line for them, rather than opening a door for a rising star like their recent transfer capture.
You could argue that his pathway to first-team football has been blocked further at West Ham than at Celtic.
Cummings was given his Celtic debut away at Aston Villa in the Champions League in January, but after that, he was never seen again in the green and white colours.
Then, weeks later, Rodgers was firing verbal shots at the player, including how the young players lack patience when searching for first-team football.
“All the young players at Celtic have the best example you could ever have in Callum McGregor, and of the other players,” said Rodgers to BBC Radio Scotland in Febarury.
“You have to be patient, you are at a Champions League and a massive club. So, patience is going to be important. If you don’t have that, then it’s going to take you elsewhere.
“People will look at the club. The pathway. The pathway is here for any top young player. It’s whether you have the patience enough and the demands professionally to cope with being here, if not, then your representatives may take the chance to move you on and pick up a few extra quid somewhere else.”