CELTIC legend Davie Hay has pinpointed one player who should be on the Hoops’ transfer wish list – Patrick Roberts.
The winger impressed the former Parkhead boss during his lengthy loan spell from Manchester City before moving on to Spain on another temporary transfer last summer.
However, Roberts has struggled in La Liga and will be returning to his parent club later this month with his future incertain.
The clever flanker, who made such a hit with the Hoops followers, rarely got the opportunity to show his skills at Girona and faded from the first team picture after the turn of the year.
But Hay believes Roberts could still do a job at the champions and insists he could play in the same attack as Player of the Year James Forrest.
The club ambassador, speaking in the Evening Times, said: “One man who certainly could and probably should be a consideration for Celtic this summer is Patrick Roberts.
JUMPING FOR JOY…Patrick Roberts celebrates a goal against Hearts at Tynecastle.
“The winger hasn’t really hit the heights we all know that he is capable of in Girona on loan from Manchester City this season, but he did exceptionally well at Celtic in his spell up in Scotland and he is still young at 22.
“Whether it would be a possibility or not I’m not sure, because he will be going into the final year of his contract with Manchester City, but he really enjoyed his time up here and I’m sure the player himself would be open to the possibility of a return.
“His second season wasn’t as successful as his first, but he got an injury and then the form of James Forrest meant that he couldn’t get back into the team regularly.
“I think that the two of them could play in the same team and maybe switch flanks. With Scott Sinclair’s future looking uncertain, he is one who would be almost certain to have an impact.”
Celtic face a summer of upheaval with a record number of comings and goings starting with the out-of-contract stars Dedryck Boyata, Emilio Izaguirre and Cristian Gamboa while Mikael Lustig has yet to agree an extension.
Scott Allan signed a pre-contract with Hibs in January, Timothy Weah’s loan period was cut short as he returned to Paris Saint-Germain a week ago and Filip Benkovic (Leicester City), Oliver Burke (West Brom) and Jeremy Toljan (Borussia Dortmund) are poised to go back to their parent clubs at the end of the campaign.
There is likely to be a whirlwind of activity as the club prepare for another assault on the Champions League qualifiers in July.
