da bet sport： [ad_pod ]
da bet nacional： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Celtic assistant manager John Kennedy has insisted that Liam Morrison isn’t for sale amid interest from Bayern Munich, according to The Scottish Sun.
What’s the story?
Morrison is one of the brightest talents in Celtic’s academy, evidenced by his links to the Bundesliga champions. Kennedy has moved quickly to squash claims that the 16-year-old has agreed terms with Bayern though, as some reports had suggested earlier.
The 16-year-old impressed as part of the Celtic squad that flew to Austria for pre-season this summer, and The Scottish Sun report claims he has already rejected a professional contract earlier this year.
With Celtic still in the market for players, particularly defenders after many of last season’s squad departed, there could be a chance for the centre-back to get game time this season, despite his inexperience.
His short-term future could have a knock-on effect at the club too, particularly with the likes of Ewan Henderson and Karamoko Dembele on the precipice of the the first-team at a similar age.
The ramifications of Morrison going
Morrison going to Bayern Munich would give fellow academy graduates Dembele and Henderson something to think about. The duo are thought of in similar standing to the young centre back and would likely have no shortage of suitors due to their age.
Dembele in particular has been courted by Barcelona in the past and massive things are expected of the tricky winger long-term, but at 16 years old and 5 foot 3 he will likely see his first-team opportunities limited this season.
There isn’t quite as much expectation on Henderson, but the 19-year-old featured five times for Neil Lennon’s first team last season, and drew loads of praise from fans in a recent pre-season clash.
The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…
The likes of James Forrest and Callum McGregor have shown exactly why the Bhoys regularly look to their academy for players who will become consistent first-team stars, but if Morrison is lured away to Munich then it could have huge knock-on effects.
The likes of Dembele and Henderson will be looking at English players who have already impressed in Germany, like Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson or England starlet Jadon Sancho, and they may well fancy their chances to follow suit if Morrison goes.
Given the regular presence of youth products in the first-team, fans better hope Kennedy is correct and the defender does not leave, or the implications could be massive.