Celtic FC boss Neil Lennon is looking to strengthen his team before the transfer window slams shut on the 5th of October. Having made key additions to the squad by signing the likes of Shane Duffy and Vasilios Barkas, the manager wants to bring in another center-back, a left-back, and a winger to add depth and create healthy competition for spots in the starting eleven. While the management is pursuing options in defense, their Head of Recruitment Gary Penrice has been tasked with the transfer of QPR winger Bright Osayi-Samuel as the up-and-coming youngster to slot into the wider roles in the coming years, according to the Scottish Sun.
Having started his career in Blackpool, Bright Osayi-Samuel impressed onlookers by making 32 appearances in the 2016-17 season as the Seasiders’ saw themselves gaining promotion into League One from League Two. His performances earned him a move to Championship side Queen’s Park Rangers the subsequent year.
Now in his third year at the club, the youngster has played more minutes every passing season and been involved in more goals in the 2019-20 season than in previous years. Set for another transfer, the winger has attracted interest from the Premier League, most notably Crystal Palace, and was also subject to a €4.7 million bid from Belgian side Brugge, which he turned down.
Bright Osayi-Samuel predominantly operates down the right-wing in Mark Warburton’s setup and looks to beat the opposition full-back in a 1v1 with his explosive pace and dribbling. The Englishman was one of the best dribblers in the Championship last season, as he averaged 2.9 dribbles per game and wins close to 30% of QPR’s offensive duels in every game.
Bright’s physicality and technical skills also enable him to hold up the ball and attract defenders, thus, freeing up space for his fellow attackers in the final third of the pitch. However, he was dispossessed the most in the league and loses the ball quite often, due to the immense pressure on him (stats via WhoScored).
The hierarchy at Parkhead is in mutual agreement to bring the exciting talent to the Hoops camp in the time that remains. Osayi-Samuel has a year left on his contract and has stalled contract talks with his present employers. Gary Penrice, who was also a scout for QPR and brought the player to the club, will be key in convincing the player to make a move to Glasgow.
A summer transfer would make sense for all parties involved as QPR would not want to let him leave on a free in the next window. The player himself would be put directly into the first team and act as deputy to Ryan Christie, who is looking to commit his long-term future to Celtic, in his initial season with the Celts.
On the contrary, if Bright transfers to Crystal Palace, there is a high chance of him being loaned back to the club. For Celtic, it would be gaining the services of one for the present and the future, for a price much below his valuation. Well, what the future holds for the player remains to be seen as we approach towards the end of the transfer window.