Transfer tombola rolling…rolling…finally the name tumbling out is Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths.
Reports from a number of sources are claiming that Massimo Cellino has set his beady eye on Celtic’s 24-year old Scottish striker Leigh Griffiths, with Leeds reputedly be wanting to test Celtic’s resolve by bidding £1m for the striker’s services. Leeds are looking for a consistent goal threat after scoring a meagre 50 goals in their 46 Championship games last season, Mirco Antenucci being the club’s leading scorer last term with 10 goals and the only player to break into double figures.
Griffiths signed for the Glasgow giants at the end of the January transfer window in 2014 (31 January 2014) for an undisclosed fee and has scored 26 goals in 56 appearances, providing 12 assists as well. In fact, over his entire career (including spells in England’s League One with Wolverhampton), Griffiths has scored a total of 136 goals in 286 appearances at a rate of a goal per 154 minutes. Whilst goal scoring isn’t an art of pure numbers, such a strike-rate would equate to Griffiths potentially being bracketed as a 27-goal striker should he maintain that across a full season in the Championship.
With Griffiths ticking some of the boxes that Massimo Cellino is seeing as ‘requirements’, this could be an interesting one to watch to see how the tale unfolds and the story develops. Added interest to this story is that Leeds are also reputedly in the market for appointing a dedicated ‘sporting director’ and Celtic’s head of scouting David Moss is the name that is being heavily linked to the job at Elland Road. If this deal is concluded beforehand, it will make any potential move for Griffiths that little bit more interesting.
Celtic is undoubtedly a ‘big club’ and moving back South of the border would be a drop down in leagues but, as many would argue, a step up in week-in, week-out competitiveness that might go some way to persuading a young, hungry striker to test himself in a more rounded and competitive division. Wages are unlikely to be a stumbling block either with Griffiths’ reputed £8,000 per week comfortably within Leeds United’s wage structure.
One to watch I think.
