“An agreement was reached with Eupen that I will be allowed to move in the summer to my club of choice. For now, I remain with Eupen until the end of the season.”
These are the words of young attacker Henry Onyekuru, who was heavily aligned with a move to Celtic during the January transfer window.
The 19-year-old was the subject of a rejected offer of around £1m from the Bhoys in the window just closed, but there’s every chance the Hoops will return in the off-season and they could be the “club of choice” for the starlet, who went AWOL in a bid to force through a switch to Scotland before the last deadline passed.
Given that the African starlet plies his trade in Belgium and is still an emerging talent, not a great deal is known about him as things stand. He’s clearly a promising player Brendan Rodgers is keen on as he goes about building his own side at Celtic Park and progressing further in Europe next season.
Onyekuru may be an important cog in this, so here are FIVE things you need to know about him…
Ideal Rodgers attacker
Rodgers’ style of football demands players with a mix of intelligence, pace and versatility, and Onyekuru seems well suited to that. Primarily a left-sided attacker, the 19-year-old is able to play on the opposite flank or as a central forward, much in the same way Raheem Sterling did for the Northern Irishman when the pair were together at Liverpool.
The teenager is possibly being looked at with a view to Patrick Roberts leaving to head back to Manchester City when his loan stint ends, but it’s good to know that he’s more than a one-trick pony.
Willing to reject Russia for Celtic move
Going AWOL is never a good sign when it comes to a player’s professionalism, but Onyekuru’s actions late on in January show that he’s very much keen on a switch to Celtic. Reports from the Daily Record claim that his desire to get a summer switch to Glasgow is so fierce that he’s even willing to overlook interest from Russian sides, whose transfer window remains open for a few more weeks, to keep himself available for the Bhoys.
Has been recommended Celtic move by Odemwingie
“He asked me specifically about Celtic and I told him first and foremost they are a big club, they give youngsters a chance and it’s a step closer to the English Premier League.
“Even for someone like me looking in from the outside I was able to list so many positives about moving to Celtic and he seemed to agree – but he had other options. Once we had our conversation it was out of my hands.
“I told him to do what was right for him and what he felt would make him happiest but certainly I made a strong case for Celtic.
“I know the Scottish Premiership isn’t the biggest league but Celtic are a massive club. They play in Europe every year and a lot of times in the Champions League.
“It’s a step closer to the English Premier League. I don’t mean geographically but
in the sense that Celtic are a club that develops young talent and moves them on to better places. I also said it would help to get a UK work permit and that would probably be easier without the issue of having to play 75 per cent of games for your national team to get into the English Premier League, which affected me when I was younger.
“He was undecided when I spoke to him but he seemed keen on Celtic by the time we finished talking, mainly because he could get to the English Premier League quicker than any other route.
“I gave him all the advice I could but then it was up to him. He has obviously stayed in Belgium for now.
“If he comes back to me and he has the same options in the summer then he will have to make the choice for himself – but for me Celtic are a good choice.”
Peter Odemwingie (above) may have his critics, but the Nigerian clearly holds a lot of sway with young players coming up through his country’s youth ranks, so his word is likely to be taken seriously by Onyekuru, which is good news for Celtic!
Good goalscoring form
Belgium’s Jupiler League (the nation’s answer to the Scottish Premiership) is not among Europe’s elite divisions, but to have netted ten goals in 23 games for the side sitting second-bottom of the division is clearly some going. On top of that, Onyekuru has scored two in three cup outings for Eupen, showing his razor-sharp edge has been consistent this season.
Arsenal his “dream” team
“I believe I have the level to one day play in the Champions League. The Premier League is my dream league, although I would rather go to Arsenal.”
Arsenal are a huge team in Nigeria and the Premier League is the most watched division in the nation, so it’s little surprise that Onyekuru dreams of being a Gunner (as he said above). Although Celtic fans may not want to hear that a potential signing is an admirer of another team, his ambition may drive him on to be a success in Glasgow as he aims to earn a switch to the Emirates Stadium.
