I can’t say it was a great surprise to see that yesterday’s transfer news wasn’t about a new player coming in, but rather another one heading out.
Celtic added another £2 million to the cash pile, this time for Bosun Lawal.
It’s fairly safe to say that none of the departures so far have been a great shock.
Most of these players were either backups or even backups to the backups.
Oh’s future was decided last season after Adam Idah arrived, and Sead Haksabanovic clearly had no future at the club. Benjamin Siegrist wasn’t going to leapfrog either of our current keepers. The players who left on loan were mostly young prospects or projects that haven’t quite worked out.
And then there’s James McCarthy, whose status is so ambiguous that he might as well not exist, whether he’s still here or not.
But for much of the summer, fans were pretty excited to see a handful of players from the Academy step up and stake their claim for a first-team spot. Some of these guys had gone out on loan and come back with glowing reviews. Others were Academy players who’d been on the fringes of the first team, or like Daniel Kelly, had even made some appearances.
We know what’s happening with Daniel Kelly now; we’re in a similar place as with the contract standoff with Rocco Vata, likely ending in the same disappointing result.
But one of the players we were really excited about, who seemed to have long-term potential with the club, was Bosun Lawal.
There has always been some confusion around Lawal’s role. The question was whether he was a natural fit for central defence, which we considered. But I always thought that was nonsensical, given that Watford had developed him as a defensive midfielder. I was genuinely looking forward to seeing if Lawal could make an impact on the first-team squad, and in that role.
Then, yesterday, we learned that Celtic accepted a £2 million bid from Stoke, and he was leaving.
To say this was a surprise is an understatement. To say it’s a disappointment is even more so. But when you stop and think about it for a minute, it starts to make sense.
Right now, our midfield is blessed with players like O’Riley, Hatate, McGregor, Bernardo, Iwata, and Holm. It’s a midfield that most of us agree needs one more addition. Sure, we might lose O’Riley soon, but there’s no one who seriously thinks that Bosun Lawal could or should be the one to replace him in the Celtic squad.
So, when you think about it like that, the options for Lawal were limited: send him out on loan, relegate him to the reserves, or let him sit in the stands every week, maybe making the occasional appearance on the first-team bench.
None of those options are appealing, and I’m certain Lawal didn’t like any of them either.
This is the issue when you loan a player out, and they get a taste of first-team football—they come back not wanting anything less.
So, I get it from his perspective, and I sort of get it from the club’s point of view too.
As we’ve all said here before, the worst thing this squad can do right now is stockpile players, creating bloat and sucking out wages. A smaller squad, of better quality, is what every one of us would ideally want. So, something had to give.
And I’m sure some tough decisions had to be made, and this is one of them. I know Brendan liked him, but in the end, it’s probably the right decision for both the player and Celtic. Disappointing? Sure. But it’s one of those things, and we’ll move on.
Best of luck to the player in the rest of his career; with the usual caveat; just come back to haunt us, somewhere down the line, alright?
Fair point. The balancing act Brendan has to perform by keeping fringe players happy whilst trimming the fat, as you stated, is a difficult one. Quality not quantity is what we must strive for. I am glad we are getting shot of players with little chance of making many, if any, first team appearances this season. And whilst Brendan’s claims of Celtic bringing “a couple more” in are hardly reassuring (given that we need more than a couple), I still beleive we will be in a better state going into September than we were at the same stage last season.
Unfortunately it’s the wrong lawal / lawwell we have managed to get rid of.
Everywhere the guy has gone he’s left a great impression, and has been at the top of the list of “impending breakthrough players” for a while. The only real first team comparisons in a positional sense are Calmac and Iwata, the first of whom is going nowhere for a good few years (fingers crossed) and the latter whom I personally like is a tidy and effective deputy for the holding role and squad midfielder. Hence no easy pathway to get a game in the foreseeable future for young Bosun.
It’s always frustrating to see younger talent leave, especially somebody that seems to possess genuine potential, but good luck to him.
Truth is Rodgers did not like what he sees. It does not matter how good you are or how good you can be but can you fit into the system are you you able to adapt.
I hope there’s at least a 20% sell on clause. I really liked the look of the boy, he was solid and had a great touch, but was a bit raw and rough around the edges. With good guidance and coaching I definitely think he could go for decent money in the future.
I am utterly shocked at this decision. I had Bosun marked out from his very first few games for the B squad as a player for the future. I believe this to be a big, big mistake on the part of our club.
I wish Bosun well for the future and I am sure that he will be a big success. It will be great to see him progress at another club. I am, however, convinced that we will come to regret his departure.
Could’ve done with his slightly different spelling but same sounding surname leaving as well…
He’ll probably enjoy The Championship as it’s one of the most competitive and unforgiving leagues in The World as well…
On a different subject James – I’m very much missing the latest updated comments from the very fine contributors of your excellent forum…
Clearly it’s a wee technical hiccup and hope it’s repaired soon and normal service can return !
Imo . And stated a few times. The man lacked heart. Beat him and he stood still and refused to track back. He was not worth a first team shirt and better for him to find a home and better role at another club he has to up h8s pace and power though.
I’ll be honest I’m glad. I saw him live in DC and he didn’t look fit. He looked slow, made bad passes and didn’t join runs. I really couldn’t see him being a regular contributor in any sense and if we hung on to him we’d never get this kind of money for him.
Na, have to disagree. Watched him vs DC in pre season. He got subbed off after 20 minutes because he was just a passenger. No attempt to run or press, his touch was terrible and his decision making was a joke. Maybe carrying an injury but he was a horror show. £2m is incredible business by Lawell.