The former Celtic star reportedly wants to leave his loan club in January after not being provided with enough opportunities.
For years, Celtic have been linked with a move for Patrick Roberts. And it is not hard to figure why. The English winger showed the best form of his career while playing for the Hoops and has failed to recapture it ever since leaving the club.
The Manchester City youngster spent two-and-a-half seasons on loan at Parkhead. And while his last season at the club was marred by injuries, he showed enough promise before that to perhaps warrant another chance.
He scored 6 goals and provided 2 assists in just 13 appearances in the 2015/16 season after arriving in January. And he was absolutely spectacular the following season, scoring 11 goals and providing 19 assists – incredible numbers for a right winger who was a teenager for most part of that campaign.
His career since then has been nothing to write home about though. His loan spells at Girona, Norwich City and Middlesbrough have produced just two goals in two-and-a-half seasons. Safe to say, he has not picked his clubs wisely.
And now it looks like he is looking to cut short his time at Middlesbrough after making just 7 appearances this season. As reported by The Northern Echo, manager Neil Warnock said:
"“I’ve got to have a talk (with Roberts). There are two or three lads that have not really had an opportunity, and everybody wants to play. They all want to be involved, and I have to manage that as I see fit.“I’ve got to speak to the players and see how they feel, but first and foremost, I’ve learned my lesson over the years, I’ve got to look after the club. I can’t be swayed just because an agent rings me up or a dad of one of the players says, ‘He’s got to leave or go out on loan’ – I can’t be working on that.“I’ve got to look after the club first at this moment in time because it’s a difficult period. We’ve never experienced it before. In the past, where I would have let someone leave and brought someone else in, it was straightforward. But it’s not like that anymore.”"
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Now the question is, should Celtic make a move if Roberts becomes available in January? The club are short of options on the right wing, with James Forrest out with injury and no other credible back-up options present in the squad at this point of time.
Thus, a move for the Englishman could make perfect sense for the Hoops. He has already shown that he is capable of getting it done in Scottish football. Is he still the same player though?
To be very honest, he very well might be but you would not know from the teams that he has represented since leaving Parkhead. He is the type of player who thrives on running at opposition defenders. But instead, he is played in defensive teams over the past few years. No wonder he has failed to produce results.
One problem with a potential move for Roberts is that he was not someone who played under Neil Lennon. As a result, it is hard to see the manager push for his signature even if he becomes available.