Celtic podcaster Allan Edgar believes that the club’s potential deal for Vasilios Barkas has an upside and it could be a good move for the Hoops.
Edgar was recently present on the latest episode of The Cynic podcast and the panel talked about many issues surrounding the Parkhead side. Edgar focused on the club’s potential signing of AEK Athens goalkeeper Barkas and he believes that it would be a good deal for the Bhoys.
It has been reported that the Greek goalkeeper has arrived in Glasgow to undergo a medical and complete a £5.5million switch to Parkhead. Barkas is ‘ready’ to sign a four-year deal at Celtic.
When talking about how this move will help the Bhoys, Edgar said:
“I think it is great news. I’m absolutely delighted with it and I’m glad it has happened quickly. I think this is the best profile of goalkeeper you could probably get. Obviously, there’s the Fraser Forster thing. If he’s not going to sign, we can’t really go 10 games into the season and wait for the last minute for Fraser Forster.
Will Barkas replace Forster perfectly?
Yes, he will
No, he won't
“He’s probably one of the most promising goalkeepers in Europe. 26 years old, just about to get towards his peak, maybe around 28. So, there’s a huge upside to this deal. And I think the only question mark over it is how he settles in Glasgow, because he’s got everything else. His ability is very good, his numbers are excellent, he is a really good all-round goalkeeper and he does have a really fantastic highlight reel. And even when you dig a wee bit deeper than that, and you watch a lot of this footage in a wee bit more detail, it really passes the test.”
Edgar clearly feels that Barkas’ signing will be very good for Celtic and the club can’t wait for Fraser Forster any longer. The 26-year-old Barkas is currently valued at £2.16m by Transfermarkt.
TIF Thoughts…
Barkas was a regular for AEK Athens in the 2019/20 season and made 33 appearances in all competitions for the Greek club. In the league, he played 20 times and kept ten clean sheets during that time. He even played four games in the UEFA Europa League qualifying stages (via Transfermarkt).
Barkas offers Champions League and Europa League experience as he has played in those competitions with AEK Athens. He has kept as many as 61 clean sheets in the total 111 games that he has played for AEK and that is a pretty decent record. So, Celtic fans should hope that Barkas settles in and makes an impact in the club’s first-team.