Celtic are being tipped to protect themselves in their bid to sign West Ham United striker, Albian Ajeti, by offering a loan to buy deal as part of the negotiations.
Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League striker, Noel Whelan, believes that it could help to reduce any risk given the potential outlay for the forward.
So what has Whelan said?
When asked if he felt that considering a deal of this nature made sense for the Hoops, he said:
“Yeah, I think that might be the best case. Sometimes you’ve got to see, as a player, how he adapts to that style of Scottish Premiership football.
“It’s not the same as the Premier League and you want to see if he’s going to bed in with the players that you already have.
“Sometimes that loan signing is the best way to find out about a player, about his character, if he’s committed without paying big money straight away and then finding out he’s not the player, he’s not the right character.
“You give yourself the option with a loan deal.”
So is Whelan correct?
Celtic have, of course, been down this road before with Odsonne Edouard and deals of this nature – as Whelan rightly says – allows managers to have a longer look at a player in their set-up to see if they could be a worthwhile addition over the longer term.
In the case of Ajeti and with Football Insider claiming that the Hammers would take £5million for the Switzerland international, much would depend on the future of Edouard, having spent £3.5m on Patryk Klimala, investing another large fee on a player to potentially sit on the bench is unlikely to get the board’s seal of approval.
The initial loan deal would protect both parties and if Edouard was to leave, Celtic would know that they have a ready made replacement already guaranteed, if he makes the grade and matches the sizeable standards set by the supremely talented Frenchman that is.