Who’s this £15m West Ham target on loan at Celtic? Everything you need to know

Scout Report – Patrick Roberts

Premier League side West Ham United are reportedly interested in the services of Celtic winger Patrick Roberts, who is currently on loan from Manchester City. The Hammers are confident that they can acquire his services in the upcoming summer transfer window, who has a valuation of £15m, as per reports.

Patrick Roberts has actually been a long-term target for West Ham United, having missed acquiring his services in 2015, when he was at Fulham.

The Manchester City youngster has made a huge name for himself in the Scottish Premiership, being a first-team regular at Celtic, coached by former Liverpool head coach Brendan Rodgers.

Here’s a brief scout report on the 21-year-old super talent who is destined for a big money move in the coming summer.

History

Patrick began his footballing career at AFC Wimbledon’s youth teams before he headed out to join Fulham’s youth department in 2010, a decision which more or less paid off later in his career.

The highly talented English winger strolled past Fulham’s youth squads and was eventually promoted to the first team in the span of a few years. In the 2014/15 season, Roberts made his breakthrough in the Championship, where he played 356 minutes (he also featured in a couple of Premier League matches during the 2013/14 season but that didn’t get much traction).

His impressive progress didn’t go unnoticed by Manchester City, with the Citizens bagging his services for a hefty fee of €15m in the summer of 2015. However, he was quickly loaned out to Scottish Champions Celtic in January 2016 and since then, he has earned himself a regular starting place in the first-team.

Style of play & key strengths and weaknesses

Patrick Roberts is a versatile attacker, who can also play as an attacking midfielder. In fact, he can also act as a striker, if needed. Therefore, versatility is definitely one of his main strengths, which can be very effective, especially in the Premier League.

He often likes to cut inside onto his favoured left foot, which allows him to have more freedom once he gets into the central areas of the pitch. Roberts’ ability to drift past opposing players at ease, is what makes him such a highly sought-after talent in European football.

Although he may not be the most speedy players on the planet, his ability to drift inside and find a pass into the channels often creates havoc in the opposing defence.

Furthermore, he has a surprisingly powerful shot which is always a great thing to have in your locker while his playmaking is what makes him such a versatile and efficient operator in the final third.

However, Roberts is definitely not the most consistent performer in the team, considering his lack of experience. He also lacks the physicality to thrive in the Premier League while his rather small figure of 5 ft 5 won’t be helpful either.

What’s next?

Patrick Roberts is currently out with a thigh injury, after making only six league appearances this season, meaning he still needs to find his rhythm before making a big money move to the Premier League.

Although, a move to West Ham United does make sense considering the fact that the Hammers have really struggled to impose their authority in the English top flight, of late, and could welcome some offensive reinforcements, following the sale of Andre Ayew in January.