DONE DEAL: Celtic have moved for “outstanding” £10m colossus to replace..
Celtic identify “outstanding” new £10m target to replace Joe Hart
The Hoops are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the English Championship star.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers knows that he will need to dip into the market during the summer transfer window to sign a new number one.
Former England international Joe Hart has already confirmed that the end of his contract later this year will signal his retirement from professional football.
The 36-year-old colossus, who turns 37 later this month, will have spent three full seasons with the Hoops and could land a third straight Scottish Premiership title if they win the division this term.
Celtic are already looking at players who could arrive in Glasgow to replace Hart ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, and a new target has seemingly been identified this week.
Celtic’s interest in English titan
According to This is Anfield, the Scottish giants are one of a number of clubs interested in a possible summer deal to sign Sunderland star Anthony Patterson.
The report claims that Premier League giants Liverpool are keeping close tabs on the English titan as they look for a replacement for Adrian.
It also states that those at Anfield could face ‘strong’ competition for his signature from the likes of Celtic, Leeds United, Leicester City, and Arsenal, who are all keen on the talented youngster.
This is Anfield claims that the Hoops have sent scouts to watch Patterson in action regularly in the English Championship for the Black Cats this season.
It adds that a fee of at least £10m – and possibly up to £15m – could be needed to tempt Sunderland into cashing in on their number one in the summer transfer window.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not Celtic are prepared to go as high as that for the 6 foot 1 ace, as their current club-record transfer stands as the £9m they paid to sign Odsonne Edouard from Paris Saint-Germain in 2018.
Why Celtic may want to sign Anthony Patterson
Rodgers could be eyeing up the impressive talent to replace Hart as his form for the Black Cats in the Championship this season has been superb.
The £10m-rated star has showcased his shot-stopping quality throughout the campaign and could arrive as an upgrade to the English veteran this summer.
| 23/24 season | Anthony Patterson (Championship) | Joe Hart (Premiership |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 42 | 31 |
| Save success rate | 69% | 67% |
| Saves per game | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Clean sheets | 12 | 11 |
| Ground duel success rate | 60% | 40% |
As you can see in the table above, Patterson has been a better shot-stopper than Hart this season, based on their statistics in their respective leagues.
The 23-year-old colossus, whose “outstanding” reactions have been hailed by journalist Josh Bunting, has prevented an eye-catching 3.56 goals (xG) in the Championship, which shows that he has been an above-average performer when it comes to stopping high-quality shots.
That data is not available for Hart in the Premiership but the veteran has conceded 6.5 more goals than expected based on the post-shot xG of the shots against him across 19 European matches for Celtic since his move to the club in 2021.
These statistics suggest that Patterson, who is 13 years younger than his compatriot, has the potential to offer more quality shot-stopping between the sticks than Rodgers’ current number one.