Jumping Through Hoops: Should Celtic Go For Gary?

As Celtic’s pre-season preparations get under way, the media is, as ever, speculating wildly on who we might sign and who we might sell.

One of the positions where we very clearly need some cover is in attack; our forward line is still lacking that out-and-out penalty box player who can cut it a higher level.

A lot of names are being thrown about – indeed, many media outlets think we’re going to go for Vossen, who was at Middlesbrough last year – but there’s another name who keeps cropping up:

His name is Gary Hooper.

It has to be said that this looks unlikely, although this is the final year of his contract and he’s been pretty much told her can leave Norwich with them being back in the EPL,

But it’s an intriguing one none the less, except for the notion of us offering Van Dijk in a part exchange.

I am not the world’s most forgiving guy when it comes to ex-players coming back, but Hooper is one I would have welcomed because I thought it ridiculous in the first place that we ever let him go.

He’s a fine footballer, and a bloody good finisher, the kind of player who can score lots of goals.

He proved to be quite the big game player too, although I thought Scott McDonald – his closest contemporary in that I think they were both very similar players – had him beat there, just for goals in the Champions League.

On balance, he’s a guy I would re-sign, and I think a lot of Celtic fans would agree, although obviously I’m interested in hearing all your thoughts on the subject.

The money would have to be right of course; there’s no question of us paying a huge transfer fee or ridiculous wages.

But Hoops might be amendable to a deal because he’s seen now that the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side of the fence.

This is one of those things that troubles me about professional footballers sometimes.

There’s not a one of them at the top of the game now who isn’t making “lifestyle money”; these guys aren’t “scraping by”, not any of them.

None has the slightest, remotest, worry about how they are going to pay the bills now or in the future.

At what point do these guys start thinking about honours? Trophies? Memories that are about more than just money in the bank?

When you think about how many professional players there are out there, you realise that the bulk of them will never have that.

Hooper is luckier, then, than most. He already does.

But can you ever get too much of it?

Can you ever have too many medals?

So I think Hooper would be up for it, and we probably wouldn’t have to break the bank to get him.

But that’s not the issue, of course; the issue is what does Ronny want to do, and does he have the money to spend?

Jelle Vossen may, or may not, be on the way, and he’s a different type of player to Hoops and would give us a different set of options, but it’s hard not to think about how well Hooper and Griffiths would link up in our starting eleven and not like the idea.

As I said earlier, this seems unlikely at best; it’s pure press speculation, and everyone knows how much I hate that, but he is available and I’m quite sure he sometimes wonders what might have been, had he stayed at Celtic Park.

In the meantime, the media continues to offer more hints about the future of Scott Allan, this time with the BBC leading off and saying both Celtic and Sevco have “made inquiries” about the player.

Of course, the writer is hiding behind that old hack standby that neither side has made a concrete offer – which is code for Celtic aren’t really interested and Sevco don’t have the money – but this sets things up nicely for another “Celtic snubbed” story when Allan’s future is sorted out.

I really don’t like that close season that much, but the transfer window is always good for a few laughs.

Anyone want to start a Riquelme rumour?

Issue 2 of Glasgow Scooped is out now. Get your free copy here.

Alternatively, you can read it free online.