Yahoo News Chris Davies can use Celtic connection to sign defender tipped to 'excel' for Birmingham City
Birmingham City reportedly hold an interest in Celtic prodigy Bosun Lawal. According to a report in the Daily Record, Blues and Dutch side Fortuna Sittard want to sign the highly-rated Irishman.
Lawal impressed during a loan spell in League One with Fleetwood Town last season. Despite Fleetwood suffering relegation to League Two on the final day, Lawal caught the eye with six goals and two assists in 42 outings.
The 21-year-old only has one first team appearance with Celtic to his name but he has been included in their pre-season plans by manager Brendan Rodgers. Speaking after Lawal starred in their pre-season draw with Ayr United, Rodgers said: "I really like Bosun. He is a player, clearly, that has got a lot of physical attributes, but what he has as well is a lot of football ability. Been out on loan and you can see he has had that experience and has that power and quality to break though.”
Lawal, who stands at 6ft 2ins, is capable of playing in defence or midfield and only joined Celtic from Watford in 2021. Another loan move seems feasible if Lawal isn’t going to get a first team chance at Celtic.
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Chris Davies’ relationship with Rodgers, whom he worked alongside for 13 years at various clubs including Celtic, could be instrumental in getting a deal for Lawal over the line.
Lawal also grabbed the attention of Republic of Ireland interim manager John O'Shea, formerly a coach of Blues, with his performances on loan at Fleetwood last term.
O'Shea said: “You can see why people think he can be a centre-back, and you can see why he’s going to be a driving force in midfield, too. It’s a fantastic option for Ireland going forward in terms of what he’s going to be. Most importantly, he’s going to be a very good player.
"What Celtic do with him now, let’s wait and see. The key for Bosun, if he wants to be a centre midfielder in particular, is playing at a higher level, a more technical level and seeing how he can cope with moving the ball quickly having lots of bodies around him. If he does that, I think he can excel as well.
“He won’t have any issues in terms of having a very good career once he applies himself like he is doing at the minute.”
