A deal is now very close to taking a Celtic player to an English Premier League side. The move has been looming for some time now and won’t come as a surprise to those who have been keeping their eyes and ears open. But it further reduces the depth of the squad and gives Brendan Rodgers a problem by increasing the need for summer signings.
Daniel Cummings has been on the verge of a move away for months now. He came close to leaving in the winter window and was on the receiving end of transfer offers. With Kyogo Furihashi’s exit and the lack of a new forward arriving, he stayed put at Parkhead.
That was only ever a short-term decision though. Cummings' contract runs out this summer leaving him free to talk to other clubs and to sign a pre-contract deal. West Ham United has been close to getting that in place and now looks close to finalising a deal.
As reported by The West Ham Way, ExWHUEmployee told their Patreon:
"We can exclusively reveal that Scottish forward Daniel Cummings will have his medical tomorrow ahead of his pre contractual agreement move from Celtic.
“West Ham will have to pay Celtic compensation for the talented forward and Mark Noble has been very influential in the signing.
“We can also report that parts of the medical have been undertaken today."
Celtic player undergoing medical as Parkhead exit close
It’s disappointing to see the club lose another top player from their B-team squad. Cummings follows the likes of Rocco Vata, Ben Doak, and Daniel Kelly making an exit rather than signing a new deal at the club.
There doesn't seem to be a good route for youngsters to step up from that level to the first team other than for a very occasional runout late in a match. So, it is not hard to see why many have chosen to leave rather than stay at their boyhood club.
The move will also reduce options upfront for Rodgers. Johnny Kenny is the current centre forward back up to Adam Idah and Daizen Maeda. There are already question marks over whether the manager backs the youngster in that position.
While the club will no doubt be searching for another forward to sign in the summer, Cummings' move will rule him out of contention for a step-up. Kenny may well be making a move away too if he is not getting more opportunities to play before then.