A fresh report has surfaced claiming West Ham’s Andy Irving could be on his way to Celtic, with the Scottish midfielder reportedly edging closer to a move.
Soccer Football – Scottish Cup – Celtic v Heart of Midlothian – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – December 20, 2020 Heart of Midlothian’s Andy Irving in action with Celtic’s Greg Taylor REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Irving, who has been loosely linked with the Hoops for the past year, is said to be available for transfer this summer. The 25-year-old made 11 appearances for the Hammers last term – ten in the Premier League and one in the EFL Cup – but has been tipped for an exit in search of regular football.
West Ham Central has claimed a £3.5million bid would be enough to secure his services, with a previous £2.2million offer – believed to be from Celtic – already rejected.
The former Hearts man was a standout in Austria with Austria Klagenfurt before making the move to London in 2023, but has struggled to cement a regular spot.
While this latest report is yet to be verified by more established outlets, it’s certainly one to keep an eye on.
Celtic have a lot of depth on the middle of the pitch at the moment, and it’s probably not an area that they desperately need some strengthening.
Celtic’s £11m signing, Arne Engels, and Portugal U21 captain, Paulo Bernardo, are struggling for minutes, with the latter yet to play a single second this season.
On Friday, the Celtic manager admitted that there were no imminent arrivals.
“There’s no news, no, I’ve got nothing new for you,” Rodgers said. “It’s very clear what we need to improve and a lot of work going on, clearly. We’re hoping that we can conclude some deals and improve the squad.
“I think the board have shown over many years, numbers of years, that the work will get done. And obviously as a group that run the club and have run it so well for so many years, they have to get what they will feel is the best value for the players. Of course, as coaches and managers and supporters, you want the best players.
“But ultimately the club will be running in a way that makes sure that both the best players and the best value is there to be made.”
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