Celtic may have been proven right already after a January transfer fell through
Celtic saw a January transfer move for Ivorian winger Jocelin Ta Bi fall through at the eleventh hour but may already have been proven right for one transfer quirk, after the player endured a debut to forget at Sunderland.
The Hoops experienced a difficult weekend themselves as ex Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill tasted domestic defeat for the first time since his return to the club, a 2-1 reverse at home to Hibernian as Kai Andrews netted a late winner for Hibs’ first win at Parkhead for 16 years.
Celtic sit third in the Scottish Premiership, six points off leaders Hearts with a game in hand. The prospect of retaining the title for a fifth successive year as champions is looking a challenging one at present, but O’Neill will retain belief that his troops have the quality to get over the line ahead of Hearts and bitter rivals Rangers.
Celtic concerns proven after horror Ta Bi debut
Celtic made a series of loan signings and one free agent deal for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the January transfer window – but were reported to be close to a permanent move for Jocelin Ta Bi from Israeli side Maccabi Netanya.
The move fell through for multiple reasons. Firstly, the sackings of Wilfred Nancy and Paul Tisdale meant that the Hoops’ recruitment strategy changed overnight, while the Glasgow giants’ medical team identified an injury issue within the 21-year-old and recommended that he have an operation to rectify the ankle problem. The move was set to go through despite this but amidst the confusion, Premier League side Sunderland launched a late hijack and signed the Ivorian instead.
Instead of agreeing that Ta Bi needed surgery, Sunderland instead integrated him into training early on and handed him his first-team debut against Oxford United in the FA Cup earlier this month. To many fans’ surprise, the winger was handed his first Premier League appearance from the start against Fulham on Sunday – and Celtic could have been proven right after what happened just over half an hour in.
Ta Bi went down with injury despite not appearing to see any significant contact with an opponent – simply sitting down and beckoning for the physios to come on and give him treatment. Just 39 minutes into his Premier League debut, concerns over Ta Bi were realised and he was substituted.
Ta Bi missed out on ‘dream’ move to Parkhead
Prior to his move to the north-east of England, Ta Bi had reflected on his excitement at the prospect of playing for a club as big as Celtic. He said publicly: “Playing for a club like Celtic is a dream come true for me.
“But without the support and love I received in Israel, I would not have reached these levels. The decision to come here and the trust I received from the club and my friends led me to progress. I will not forget the period I have had on loan at Hapoel Petah Tikva and the love and warmth that surrounded me. I am going to fulfil a big dream, at a famous club and in one of the best stadiums in the world.”
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