Ben Davies was someone who had been linked with Celtic for quite some time. Thus, it was not a surprise when it emerged that the club were trying to agree a pre-contract deal with him.
The former Preston North End defender had been very impressive in the Championship and could be a great signing for the Hoops. And for a long time, it did look like the move was going to take place.
But then things changed at the very last moment. Just when it looked like Celtic were closing in on a pre-contract agreement with the player, Liverpool swooped in and got a permanent deal done for Davies.
Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has talked about how close he actually was to signing the pre-contract deal with the Hoops. While appearing on The Celtic Exchange Podcast, Joseph said:
"“It looked to be that the player had the contract, he’d agreed the pre-contract but he hadn’t signed it that night. So, this is why we reported that he’d signed it cause obviously we were told that it was signed and then it came out. Obviously, he’s slept on it and not that he was not going to sign it, I think he’s just genuinely not signed it and submitted it, and the next morning he’s woken up and other clubs in England are after him. And it materialised that Liverpool were the ones who were strong and ended up, as Neil Lennon put it, gazumping Celtic.”"
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Davies could have been a great signing for Celtic
There is no doubt that Davies is a good player and could have done a job at Parkhead, and possibly been a regular starter. Things have not worked out quite as well at Liverpool though.
Ever since moving to Anfield, he is yet to play a single minute of football. And this is when the defending Premier League champions are short of options in defence. Thus, when Jurgen Klopp has a fully fit squad at his disposal, it is unlikely that he will be getting a lot of time on the pitch.
Clearly he was an emergency signing that Liverpool had made due to a string of injuries at centre-back. As a result, could he be available once again in the summer, when the injured players have recovered? And if so, should Celtic try to sign him once again?
There is still a worry at centre-back for the Hoops though, with Kristoffer Ajer linked with a move away from the club, Shane Duffy’s loan deal set to expire at the end of the season and Christopher Jullien out with an injury for the foreseeable future. As a result, it would make a lot of sense to go back for Davies, if he is indeed available.