Warrants his own thread. I think he will be seeing some first team football this year. We will see where he ends up in the next 24 hours, Wolves and Palace with firm offers, would have more chance starting with Palace at the current time. Reportedly Locomotiv Moscow with offer as well, unlikely to be a good move considering their history of racism (see below for Odemwingie‘s experience) among other things including less chance for first team football and living in Russia.
https://www.punditarena.com/football/oisinmcqueirns2758/exclusive-lokomotiv-moscow-among-clubs-to-offer-afolabi-contract/amp/
The mid tier la Liga team don’t appear to be in the equation any longer which would have been a very exciting move.
https://www.deadspin.com/zenit-supporters-unfurl-racist-banner-to-protest-the-si-1836954268/amp
Spoke to a close friend of his a week or two ago. Said he had more offers than he could count and wasn't really sure what to do. Was trying to weigh up staying at as high a level as possible with getting first team football. There were also huge variations in terms of wages on offer - and while clubs could promise him the world before he signed in terms of pathways to the first time, trying to figure out the reality was a different thing.
My guess is that Southampton regret letting him go
Case in point look at poor Luca Connell. Celtic put on quite the show for him to secure him ahead of multiple other suitors promising him the world no doubt....and now he’s rotting with their under 21s after a few minutes of senior football preseason!
Having said all that, it would be in Jonathan’s best interest to make his decision sooner rather than later with season starting. Surely it will take him a week or two to get back to match fitness on top of everything else. Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if he waits for a few days after the transfer window to maximize offers as interested clubs will be desperate if they’re still light on strikers come tomorrow at 5pm.
Last edited by tommy_c12000; 08/08/2019 at 2:57 AM.
Just read an additional article: “Lokomotiv have tabled a four-year deal to Afolabi and they hope the opportunity to play in the Champions League will help persuade him to snub other offers to move to Russia. The Russians are also offering Afolabi a quicker pathway to first-team football with the forward promised he will go straight into the side because of an injury to striker Eder.”
No doubt the money is good as well compared to England. This must be very enticing
Rotting? He's only been there a month.Originally Posted by tommy_c12000
The level of racism in Russian football wouldn't be enticing though.
Last edited by The Fly; 08/08/2019 at 4:12 AM.
Yes, I highlighted above. Eder is another black striker there and he’s surviving though! In all seriousness, a 4 year contract in Russia will provide solid financial security, this is surely hard to turn down for a 19 year old who has never played first team football. Moreover, looking at their strikers he has a genuine chance of starting especially if Eder is injured, which includes champs league exposure. Can’t imagine the English teams would have offered as long a contract or as much money. If i was him id go to Russia, if he busts at least he’ll be set up well financially, and come back to forge a career in the lower leagues
Sign that contract quick what an opportunity and a hopefully big payday. Living in Moscow would e a wonderful life experience
Apart apart from the racism, Moscow would be a lonely place for a teenager. Very different culture etc. I'm not saying that's bad thing just at that age it could be difficult to settle - different if someone was going there at 27 when they are a lot more mature
better to go somewhere where he will be around surroundings he can be comfortable with to focus on hid football plus have a good chance of playing 1st team ball.
Common sense comment from kennedmc above.
We urge our players to go abroad sometimes. Moscow, at that age, would surely be a bit of a stretch. Somewhere that is a Ryanair flight away like Amsterdam or Berlin or Madrid!
Is in the crowd at Celtic Park today. Their under 23s, who don't have a league to play in, look like they'll have a fourth Irish lad playing for them this season.
Celtic fans pretty unhappy with him signing...Southampton reject etc. Have written him off already.
Last edited by Eirambler; 17/08/2019 at 3:27 PM.
Bit of an anticlimax having watched it closely over the past few weeks. Yera let’s see how he does. Should do pretty well in the poor standard that is the SPL, based on his Armenia performances, and at least he should get a chance. Although nothing has happened for poor Luce yet despite having being promised the world
https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport...rward-afolabi/
Last edited by tommy_c12000; 17/08/2019 at 3:36 PM.
Would be surprised if he played too much football there this season with Griffiths and Edouard ahead of him. Celtic basically don't have a left back at the moment and Connell still can't get a look in.
I think Celtic are just taking a punt on these players because it costs them next to nothing. Not great for the two lads' development though.
Maybe he can talk Oko-Flex into rejoining the Irish underage setup.
Last edited by Eirambler; 17/08/2019 at 3:51 PM.
Hopefully Will get a chance though with celtics 3 senior strikers who are already there it may be a battle
The more I think about it this is a shocking move for Jonathan. Who are his advisers? Wasted a whole month to come to this decision. Now will take him another month to get him back to match fitness. The rationale for taking his time was in order to find the right move where he would have an excellent chance of first time football. Straight away Lennon is talking about seeing him as a developmental player. A terrible prognostic sign. Scotland is a graveyard for young footballers, you don’t go to the SPL to “develop” the structure is awful. If you’re not playing first team football in Scotland, you’re nowhere. It’s amazing reading the Celtic forum, they’re pretty delusional on the quality that they expect to recruit. Afolabi could actually be an excellent footballer if he’s handled right.
He should have stayed in England where at least there’s a better developmental structure, or grown a pair of balls and take his chances in Spain, or take the train to Moscow with a lucrative 4 year contract and set himself up for life.
Lets see what happens, but as other forum members have pointed out, Lennon is no man to develop young players. And I fear for Afolabi, like I do for Luca every week that goes by without any sign of first team football. Young players will be watching closely what happens with Luca and Jonathan in the next 12 months to see how Lennon handles them, Celtic clearly are courting youngsters very hard to bring them north of the border with promises of riches, but so far it’s been with false pretenses. I can’t imagine Afolabi will be happy with developmental team in the first few weeks which may well happen judging by Lennon’s comments
Ya it's a shocking move for him on paper. Most likely will spend the next few months just playing friendlies for their development team. Lennon already under huge pressure as well, which makes it less likely he will give game time to younger players.
Well Obafemi came on board after he arrived at Southampton, so fingers crossed he can influence Oko-Flex
I actually think three strikers is quite light - sure, Griffiths and Edouard are the likely starters, but Bayo only has a couple of seasons at Connor Ronan's Slovak side under his belt so there is surely an opening for a squad place with the opportunity for some sub minutes and domestic cup appearances - also, given Edouard's record, it may not be too long before clubs from south of the border start to have a look at him. At this point it looks like he's ready for first team football (as he should be as a 19-year-old with a lot of talent), so Celtic not having a development team shouldn't be too much of a problem. Worst case scenario, he gets loaned out to a Scottish Championship team in the near future to get some first-team football. So maybe it won't be a disaster, after all
Last edited by samhaydenjr; 18/08/2019 at 5:35 AM.
To be fair to Celtic fans a 19 year old who was released by Southampton and has never played first team football does not sound like someone you would be hopeful of dramatically improving your side on the short term
I wonder how many actual contract offers Afolabi had for clubs and how much of the interest was actually hyped up by his agent. Surely the vast majority of footballers would move to one of the less fancied Championship teams than anywhere in Scotland if they were truly interested in developing their careers. Same for Connell. He'd probably have even been better suited sticking with Bolton for another year.
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