Celtic might be about to land the 24-year-old winger once touted as the ‘Next Raheem Sterling’ from right under Steven Gerrard’s nose.
It’s funny how things work out in football. One moment you are the next big hope of your country and the following you cannot find a Premier League club ready to take you on. That’s exactly what happened with Jordon Ibe.
During his time at Liverpool, he was touted as the ‘Next Raheem Sterling’. Unfortunately their careers have gone very differently. While Sterling has gone on to score 89 times during his time at Manchester City and established himself as an absolute superstar, Ibe failed to establish himself at Anfield and was sold to Bournemouth for £15 million.
His career at Bournemouth has also faded away since then, scoring just 5 times in his 92 appearances for them. And he has not started a game for them since September. And according to The Scottish Sun, the Cherries are set to let him go for free in the summer as they are not willing to extend his £40,000-a-week contract.
This opens the door for Celtic to move in for the winger. Neil Lennon is said to be an admirer of the former Liverpool man and tried to sign him on a loan deal in the summer, but Bournemouth were not ready to let him leave.
His recent driving accident seems to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Ibe crashed his Bentley into a cafe and fled the scene. The incident resulted in him being hit with a £7,500 fine and a 16-month driving ban.
Celtic are expected to be in the market for a winger with Elyounoussi suffering an injury plagued season. Ibe certainly has the talent to make it at the very top level, but has lost his way after showing early promise at Anfield. If he can reignite his form in Scotland though, he could be a great signing for Celtic.