Celtic enter the chase for Wanyama as Brugge deal collapses

by Staff Reporter

Monday Sep 02, 2019. 14:00

There appears to be a new twist in the saga of where Tottenham Hotspur and Kenya midfielder Victor Wanyama will play this season with his proposed move to Belgian side Club Brugge having seemingly collapsed.

English side Spurs and Brugge had agreed a fee for the 28-year-old, but he has not been able to agree personal terms with the transfer window set to close on Monday.

Scottish champions Celtic have now entered the fray with a loan bid that could see the player return there as he seeks to move away from White Hart Lane in search of greater game-time.

Celtic coach Neil Lennon was also in charge when Wanyama played for the club between 2011 and 20134, before he moved to Southampton in the English Premier League and then Spurs.

Wages will be the sticking point again, with reports in Scotland suggesting Celtic would not even be able to cover half of his salary, which means Spurs will still be left with a big bill.

It is the reason why they are pushing for a permanent move, but unless there is a change of heart from Brugge, that seems unlikely.

Wanyama earns almost 4-million euro a year at Tottenham and wants a similar deal, which is a lot more than the Belgians are offering.

He has battled with knee injuries over the last two seasons and has been looking for a move away from the Premier League, where he is no longer able to train or play at high intensity.

He had been liked with a move to China last month but that fell through.

Wanyama, who was an unused substitute in Spurs’ defeat by Liverpool in May’s Champions League final, previously spent three years at the now defunct Germinal Beerschot before moving to Celtic in 2011.