Celtic summer target claims transfer move was ‘never close’

The Celtic summer transfer target has claimed that despite several rumours linking him to the club, a move was to Parkhead ‘never close’.

One position that has been of some concern for Celtic in recent months is goalkeeper. Despite his £4.5 move in the summer, Vasilis Barkas has failed to establish himself in the first-team and Scott Bain has been under the sticks in the last several games although he has not been entirely convincing either.

The Greek international has not been terrible when given the chance and some of his criticism has definitely been unwarranted. But a lot of fans are already wishing that the club had brought in a more proven goalkeeper in the summer instead of Barkas.

One man who was constantly linked with the Hoops was David Marshall. The Scot had come through the Celtic youth setup but had moved down south after failing to hold down a spot in the first-team at Parkhead. And in England, he has carved out a very successful career for himself.

He was heavily linked with a return to his old stomping grounds in the summer but as reported by The Scottish Sun, he was never even close to joining his boyhood club:

"“I spoke to Terry Gennoe not that long ago, he only stays about an hour from me in Derby. I think it was Terry who brought Woodsy [Stevie Woods] into Celtic and I have always got on great with him.“A return to Celtic was never close. I joined Derby, signed for a couple of years and I am really delighted with that.”"

More from Celtic FC News

• Celtic handed fresh injury doubt before Feyenoord game
• Celtic’s £40.7 million announcement should scare Rangers
• Brendan Rodgers makes superb claim about returning Celtic player
• BBC pundit makes sensational claim about Celtic hero Kyogo
• Kyogo Furuhashi sends clear message to Celtic doubters

It is not hard to see why many fans would have wanted Marshall. Having come through the club, he knows the value of 10IAR. And despite being 35 years of age, he is still the first choice goalkeeper for the Scotland national team and is performing at a high level for his club side, Derby County, as well.

The truth of the matter is that Vasilis Barkas and Scott Bain are two men fighting for the first-team gloves at Celtic. And hopefully the best of the two will win out very soon.

It is arguable that the Greek international has not gotten a fair shake yet and deserves a few more starts soon. His only bad performance was against the Rangers and the defence certainly did seem a bit more assured with him between the sticks than it has in the presence of Bain although a lot of that can be put down to the terrible form of Shane Duffy in recent weeks.