Joe Gelhardt

https://www.footballinsider247.com/...ub-centre-forward-after-huge-development/amp/

Celtic are lining up an offer for Wigan Athletic centre-forward Joe Gelhardt this summer, Football Insider can reveal.

The Scottish champions have joined a cluster of elite Premier League clubs including Everton in closely monitoring the wonderkid’s situation.

A Celtic source has told Football Insider that the club are ready to offer Gelhardt the chance to move to Scotland after Wigan announced earlier this week they have entered administration.


The Championship outfit have become the first English professional club to do so since the coronavirus pandemic began and the EFl reacted by saying they will be deducted 12 points.

It could mean a fire sale of Wigan’s top talents and that increases the likelihood of Gelhardt leaving.


Celtic are in line to make a sales pitch to the youngster and offer him a contract to move to Parkhead.

The club have a history of snapping up top young talent from south of the border and handing them a clear pathway to first-team football at an elite level, as they did most notably with Moussa Dembele and Jeremie Frimpong.

The rising star has been watched closely by Celtic’s network of scouts this season and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

He signed a new contract last November with Wigan, six months after he had turned 17.

Gelhardt has come through the ranks at the Latics to make his first-team mark with 19 appearances in total, 17 of which have come this season.


Most of those have come as a substitute, and he has made just two senior starts to date and scored a single goal, which came in the Championship against Hull City.

Gelhardt has scored frequently at youth-team level for England, netting three times in six appearances at Under-18 level.

 

Just what we need, another striker!!!!

 

You're moaning because we are trying to sign an 18 year old striker?

 

I personally always had good success on football manager playing the 1-0-0-10

 

I doubt Bayo will make the grade. Been unlucky with injuries, but has a striker ever been a success here that hasn't been a regular after 18 month?

If Edouard pushes for a move the way Dembele did. Everyone will be moaning about our lack of Strikers.

 

True. Griffiths cant be relied on with his chocolate calf.

I'd like a right winger. Forrest needs competition.

Obviously a goalkeeper and a good loan or 2 for a striker with options like we did with eddy

 

I’ve seen enough of Bayo to say he could be a player for us. Yeah he is raw and awkward but he certainly offers a different option. He’s big, quick, physical, decent movement.

It looks like Edouard is staying for 10 IAR (fingers crossed) and then we have Griff and Klimala as well as Bayo. We are going to struggle to bring someone in as good as Eddy and Griff who is willing to sit on the bench. I would go with those 4 strikers for first half of the season, can sign another in January if needed.

 

Hopefully, I just doubt he will make it. Another 6 month and he's been here two year. Looks like a player that needs to play regularly to get into a rhythm.

At 18 I'm sure this player would be brought in with the intention of development. If he's good enough like Frimong he will be around the first team.

 

Yeah, he needs game time. That’s the issue, he’s been here for almost 2 year and hasn’t been given a decent chance due to the form of Edouard and more recently Griffiths too.

Bayo is 23 so he has his best years ahead of him. We’ve paid £2 million for him so need to give him a fair chance and try get some return on that investment. If we sell now, we wouldn’t recoup anywhere near the £2m.

 

Bayo always seemed like he was too excitable for me, like he trained/played too hard for himself, so broke down injured almost immediately. Needed to chill, settle and let himself play into the league. I think there's a player there, but you can't train temperament. Be nice if he and Kilmala could find their games, giving us options...