Gavin Bazunu to Celtic? The Links Don’t Quite Add Up

A familiar name has suddenly been thrown into the Celtic goalkeeper conversation.

Gavin Bazunu.

The Republic of Ireland international has been linked with a potential move to Celtic, and there is certainly a nice bit of history behind the story.

But, at this stage, I’m not convinced this is one supporters should get too excited about.

In fact, with we are seemingly closing in on Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Balázs Tóth, the Bazunu rumours look increasingly difficult to make sense of.

The One Celtic Almost Had

Bazunu is a name Celtic supporters may remember from way back in 2018.

As a teenager at Shamrock Rovers, he spent time on trial with Celtic before ultimately deciding that Manchester City was the better destination.

City eventually agreed a deal worth around €400,000 for the 16-year-old, with the move completed the following year.

It would be quite the story if, eight years later, Celtic finally managed to bring him to Glasgow.

There is clearly a talented goalkeeper in there.

Bazunu has 22 Republic of Ireland caps and has played extensively in the Championship and Premier League.

So on paper, he fits plenty of the criteria Celtic have been looking for.

But Southampton Won’t Give Him Away

This is where the rumour starts to become less convincing.

Southampton paid an initial £12 million for Bazunu in 2022, and potentially rising to £15 million.

While his situation has changed significantly since then, Southampton are hardly going to forget the investment they made.

With Bazunu still having value and reportedly attracting interest elsewhere, a fee of at least £10 million would seem a reasonable expectation if Southampton were prepared to sell.

That’s a lot of money for Celtic to spend on a goalkeeper.

Especially when another option appears to be much further down the road.

Tóth Looks Like the Real Deal

Celtic’s reported pursuit of Balázs Tóth has gathered serious momentum.

Reports now describe negotiations with Blackburn as being at an advanced stage, with a deal expected to be around £3.5 million, potentially rising to £4 million.

Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray has also effectively accepted that Tóth is likely to leave after the goalkeeper rejected a new contract, with his representatives indicating that he wants to move on to a club capable of competing at a higher level, including in the Champions League.

That sounds considerably more concrete than the Bazunu story.

And financially, it makes far more sense.

Why spend £10 million or more on Bazunu when Celtic can potentially get an experienced international goalkeeper for less than half that figure?

Don’t Rule It Out Completely

Things can change quickly in a transfer window.

If Bazunu became available on loan, or Southampton significantly lowered their demands, perhaps the situation would look different.

But if the choice is spending around £10 million-plus on Bazunu or around £4 million on Tóth, Celtic have to ask themselves where that extra money would be better spent.

Midfield remains a concern.

Defensive depth needs consideration.

There are still other areas of the squad that Martin O’Neill needs to strengthen.

Celtic don’t need to spend £10 million on a goalkeeper simply because a familiar name has appeared.

From Celtic Trialist to Celtic Goalkeeper?

It would be a fantastic full-circle story.

But right now, it looks more like a rumour than a realistic transfer.

Celtic appear to be edging closer to Tóth, while Bazunu would seemingly command a significantly larger fee given Southampton’s previous investment.

So while the idea of bringing back the goalkeeper who got away in 2018 is undoubtedly appealing, Celtic should probably stick to the plan already taking shape.

Tóth looks like the move. Bazunu looks like the headline.

And at this stage of the window, Celtic need the former rather than the latter.