Why Joe Walsh could be a fantastic long-term investment for Celtic
According to the Evening Times, Celtic are among a number of European clubs keeping tabs on Gillingham’s teenage goalkeeper Joe Walsh.
Joe Walsh, 17, has risen through the ranks at the Priestfield Stadium and although he is yet to establish himself as the Gills’ No.1 under Steve Evans, his performances for the second string have caught the eye of a number of clubs. He was in inspired form as the third-tier outfit beat Spurs under-21s 2-0 in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday.
The 6ft 4in shot-stopper, who turns 18 in July, recently signed his first pro-contract with Gillingham. He is contracted to the club until 2022. Manchester City, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and RB Leipzig are all interested in Walsh, the report adds.
As far as Celtic are concerned, they signed Fraser Forster on a season-long loan deal from Southampton in the summer. Forster has been in excellent form since his return to Parkhead, keeping seven clean sheets in 15 appearances in all competitions.
The 31-year-old produced some stunning saves against Lazio to help the Hoops to two famous wins over the Serie A side and qualify for the last 32 with two games to spare.
The Hoops do have a clause included in Forster’s loan deal which allows them to sign the 31-year-old on a permanent deal at the end of the season (h/t The Evening Times). However, it remains to be seen whether or not Celtic sign the England international permanently from Southampton.
Apart from Forster, Neil Lennon also has Scott Bain and Craig Gordon on permanent deals in the goalkeeping department. Conor Hazard is also on the books and the Hoops also signed teenage goalkeeper Tobi Oluwayemi earlier this summer.
Nevertheless, the Scottish champions are always on the lookout for the best young talents in Britain and signed the likes of Luca Connell, Jonathan Afolabi and Leo Hjelde in the summer. Thus, they should not think twice about getting Joe Walsh on their books as well.
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Walsh is a highly-rated young goalkeeper with immense potential, although he is yet to make his senior debut for Gillingham. But the Kent-born keeper has already grabbed a lot of eyeballs during Gillingham’s 2-0 EFL Trophy win against Spurs under-21s last week.
Verdict
Given his potential, Celtic must quickly wrap up Walsh’s signing during the January transfer window. Should a deal go through, the 6ft 4in keeper would represent a fantastic long-term investment.