£4M ACE ADMITS HE HELD TALKS WITH CELTIC AND EXPLAINS WHY TRANSFER DIDN’T HAPPEN
Sydney van Hooijdonk, a Norwich City loanee, acknowledges that he spoke with Celtic last summer, but a winter transfer to the Scottish Premiership winners was never planned.
Strangely enough, a new center-forward was able to come to Parkhead as a result of the Dutchman’s eventual relocation to the UK. Last month, Sydney van Hooijdonk went on loan from Bologna to Norwich City, which allowed Adam Idah to relocate north of the border.
But how close was the former to signing a contract with Brendan Rodgers’ team before the latter did on deadline day?
In an interview with the Anglian newspaper the Pink’ Un, Van Hooijdonk acknowledges that talks did occur in the summer of 2023. However, throughout the first few weeks of 2024, they would not be brought up again, despite a lot of conjecture.
Celtic possessed Sydney Hooijdonk converses
The former Heerenveen talisman, who is reputedly valued by Bologna at £4 million and has an option-to-buy provision in his Norwich deal, says, “To be honest, I didn’t speak with Celtic this winter.”
“You see a lot of things, but I didn’t talk to them this winter,” Yes, there was a little throughout the summer. I think Celtic is a great club and I adore them too.
However, it was great to be in the Championship and to be a part of a Norwich squad that is in the playoff hunt. Compared to that league, this league is at a higher level.
Thus, I’m rather glad to be here.
Under Brendan Rodgers, Adam Idah sets a fast pace for himself
Van Hooijdonk, whose love for the green-clad Glasgow giants is understandable given that his father Pierre played for The Hoops in the 1990s, scored 19 goals when on loan at Heerenveen in 2022–2023 but found it difficult to establish a regular berth at Bologna ahead of the highly effective Joshua Zirkzee.
Legendary Celtic player Peter Grant believes that a major factor in Celtic’s decision not to renew their interest in January was their lack of playing time in Italy. Generally speaking, mid-season acquisitions are best made up of players who can contribute right away. Consequently, Rodgers chose Idah, a player who had made frequent appearances for Norwich throughout the first half of the season, instead.
On Wednesday night, Idah increased his total to five goals in five Scottish Premiership games after adding another goal to his game-winning brace at Motherwell during the 7-1 thumping of Dundee.
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