Just a day after news of Celtic youngster Zion Pullan's call-up to Spain at under-15s level, it has now been revealed that LaLiga club Athletic Bilbao are planning to steal him from the Hoops.
At the age of just 15, Pullan has been attracting attention for his performances this season. With 93 goal contributions across the year for the Hoops at youth level, you can understand why, but there was concern among Celtic supporters that he would get nowhere near the first team.
For too long, the Celts have struggled to keep their young talent. Daniel Kelly departed for Millwall in 2024; Rocco Vata also left for England, and Ben Gannon-Doak did the same. All three looked quality when they played their football at Parkhead, but it seems that the pathway is just not there to break into the first team.
The young players currently at the club may look at that and opt to take their talents elsewhere. Sadly, Pullan could be one of them.
According to Le Cantera De Lezama on X, Athletic Club is following the player's development. As a right-footed player on the left, he appeals to them, and they could be ready to pay a decent fee for his signature.
Celtic can't keep losing talent
Celtic simply can't keep losing their young talent. If it continues, how long can the academy actually be viable for? If players aren't breaking through, you would struggle to justify continuing to pump money into it.
There is pretty much no doubt that Pullan is going to turn out to be a fantastic player. There is no reason why he shouldn't be given a shot at first-team football, maybe as early as when he turns 16. Of course, we'd have to be careful so we don't mess up his development, but you have incredible players in the Premier League, such as Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha, who has looked fantastic for the Reds when he has played.
Celtic could be one of those clubs where there is a genuine chance for youngsters to make an impact, but unless something changes, we probably won't see that happening anytime soon.
The worst part is that a move sometimes isn't best for the player's career, but they see it as a way to get quicker football. So Celtic aren't just hurting themselves with their reluctance, they're actually hurting the player's career too. Fingers crossed that one day, things will be different, but for now, our youth philosophy doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
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