OPINION
Peter Lawwell’s reputation as one of the shrewdest transfer operators around has taken a battering over the last years or two despite Celtic’s dominance of Scottish football.
The Parkhead CEO appears to have lost his magic touch in the market after failing to address the obvious problem areas in Brendan Rodgers’ squad.
One thing is for Celtic; Lawwell would be labelled a genius if he could tie up a January move for Wigan Athletic playmaker Nick Powell in the January window.
Bleacher Report claim the Scottish champions are in the hunt to sign the 24-year-old former Manchester United man in January along with RB Leipzig, the team they conquered in Europe a fortnight ago.
Out of contract next summer, Powell is emerging as one of the most attractive possible signings from the English Championship.
Described by Sir Alex Ferguson as the heir to Paul Scholes’s throne on joining Manchester United as an 18-year-old (source: Guardian), Powell is playing with a freedom again and enjoying a kind of renaissance at Wigan.
He scored 15 goals and set up six more as Wigan lifted the League One title last season and has followed that up with four goals and five assists from 16 Championship matches this season.
Those are impressive numbers for a struggling side from Powell, who is a number ten with magic in his boots.
Celtic are not short of attacking midfielders of quality, with Tom Rogic, James Forrest, Callum McGregor and Scott Sinclair, not to mention red-hot Ryan Christie, all in fine form over the last month.
But, with Scott Brown in the final stages of his Hoops career, McGregor primed to play a deeper role going forwards and the club yet to properly replace Stuart Armstrong, a space is opening up for a central-based playmaker.
Powell would be a brilliant January signing – and a great achievement from the club if a deal was done.