Why Wolves Should Beat Celtic And Harry Wilson In The Summer
Liverpool have rejected a bid from Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic for young winger Harry Wilson. The former Reds Manager was looking to reunite with the Welshman but the move appears to be off for now.
The Scottish Premiership champions are interested in taking the 20-year-old on loan for the season in what would seem to be a move identical to the one that brought Patrick Roberts to the club last season. Both young players are left-footed but are happy playing on the right and cutting inside with great frequency.
In Wolves’ case, they already have such a player in the shape of Helder Costa. Whether Costa though is happy in that position or whether he can play a 46-game season and maintain his form looks doubtful and so it would be a huge coup for Wolves to have another player of high quality at their disposal.
Wilson, from out wide, produced 12 goals and 6 assists for Liverpool’s under-23 side this season, meaning he contributed to a goal for his side once in every 84.5 minutes. That is an astonishing record and it’s clear that he is ready for the step up to professional first team football.
Although Celtic can offer Champions League football to their new recruit as long as they qualify, it appears that is no longer the be all and end all. The Scottish Premiership is extremely weak at present and on a week-to-week basis, it is not the competition to improve a player’s abilities. Wolves should play on this, knowing that a season in the English Championship would greatly benefit Wilson. Should Liverpool agree to send him out on loan, the Midlands club would be the better destination.
The boy from Wrexham has already been capped by Wales and given what has happened to similar players in the past, it may be unwise to thrust him into the limelight too often at this stage. The burnout suffered by players like Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney should be proof that the saying “if they’re good enough, they’re old enough” is absolute nonsense.
Keeping Wilson in the Liverpool squad or allowing him Champions League football at Celtic at this particular stage of his career may do as much harm as it may do some good. So a slightly more anonymous season in England’s second tier could be the best thing for his development.
For their part, Wolves cannot afford to turn down the opportunity to sign any form of goal-getter as they look to drag themselves up the Championship table.