Celtic complete Flood deal

Celtic on verge of Flood signing

CELTIC are attempting to snap up Dundee United loan star Willo Flood in a bargain £60,000 deal.
The 23-year-old midfielder — in line to face the champions in Wednesday’s Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-final — is under contract with Cardiff City until the summer.
But with the terms of the loan agreement currently costing the Bluebirds £2000 a week, they are keen to get him off the wage bill and have told both Celtic and United he is theirs now for a nominal fee.
Stretching
While that doesn’t suit the Tannadice club who are already stretching themselves to match Cardiff’s contribution to Flood’s wages, the news has been well received by the Celtic Park Board.
Gordon Strachan has a decent record of signing players from rival SPL clubs, with the purchase of Scott McDonald in the summer of 2007 for £700,000 from Motherwell and Barry Robson for £1-million from Dundee United this time last year obvious examples.
At just a fraction of the cost, Flood, a Republic of Ireland B internationalist, represents pretty much risk-free gamble.
Admirer
The Hoops manager is known to have been an admirer of Flood for quite some time, and his Man-of-the-Match display against his team in the 2-2 draw at the start of the month may well have convinced him to make a move.
United had been in complicated contract talks with the player for months and were devastated when they learned from Cardiff of the rival interest from Celtic.
Said Tangerines chairman Stephen Thompson, “We made Willo a fantastic offer but it is outwith our control because he is just on loan.
“It is up to Cardiff what happens, and if Celtic have an offer accepted, which we presume they will, the decision will be his to make.”
What happens then can be taken pretty much as a foregone conclusion, as Flood is a Celtic fan from a Celtic-supporting family

 

yeah heard about this late last night and made a thread about it. didnt think thered be much to it but it seems really likely noe if that article is correct.

 

By Robert Thomson and Martin Hannan


CELTIC are weighing up a move for Dundee United midfielder Willo Flood before the transfer window shuts on February 2.
The Republic of Ireland B international is on his second season-long loan from Cardiff City but the Bluebirds are eager to offload him from their wage bill so will accept a nominal bid from the Parkhead club, likely to be in the region of £60,000. ADVERTISEMENT





Flood's contract at Ninian Park expires at the end of the season so they will be easy to deal with. The Dublin-born 23-year-old, a Celtic supporter, has been in contract talks with United but seems certain to snub their offer for a lucrative move to the SPL leaders.

Stephen Thompson, the United chairman, has pulled out all the stops to try to keep Flood but admits the club are powerless to stop him leaving.

Thompson said: "It's outwith our control, really, because he's just on loan to us from Cardiff. We won't get a say in it. It's really up to them what happens and if Celtic have an offer accepted, which we presume they will, the decision will be Willo's. We've made him a fantastic offer and would love him to stay but in the end he'll make up his own mind."

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan side-stepped the issue after yesterday's win over Hibs but United manager Craig Levein admitted they were in danger of losing the player.

"Cardiff haven't been in touch with us and Celtic haven't been in touch with us," Levein said. "But you have to remember in this situation that we aren't even in the loop. If Celtic want Willo Flood, they go to Cardiff to get Willo Flood, not us. I desperately want to keep him. But when things are going well and your team is doing well and there are bigger clubs out there with more money, you lose players."

Flood began his senior career with Manchester City but made just five league starts in three years and left to join Cardiff.

No one at Parkhead would comment on the move for Flood but a senior source confirmed the club's interest. The two teams are due to meet in the semi-final of the Co-operative Cup at Hampden on Wednesday.





The full article contains 389 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

• Last Updated: 24 January 2009 10:37 PM
• Source: Scotland On Sunday

 

this is defo goin to happen IMO.

 

good player bye the way

 

like it says its a risk free investment.

 

i would like it if he joined hes a tidy player

 

he would do a job for us..and for 60.000 good buy imao

 

Coming from a celtic daft family and being a supporter he will give 110% always,just what we need.

 

him and paddy mcourt can battle it out for a reserve team place

 

also in sunday mail
I think he would be good signing and imagine how lively our midfield would be with him and brown in it. It would unrun any midfield

 

to be fair hes a decent player although how much there is to thios is debatable

 

always liked him

tricky wee player.

60 grand is a total giveaway

 

Great we player with a great engine and i really hope we get him!!! this is 1 player i really want to sign, i think he is a celtic fan as well which is great, he will give is all for the club and these are the kind of players we need, 60 grand is a steal!!!!! the way he played against the hunns made in the final told me he was a hoops fan:icon_mrgreen:

 

ALways been good when ive seen him, a snip at 60k

 

i dont know about this one lads will he enhance the team?,
is he good enough to take broony`s place or naka`s?
and i heard it was for 130g and we will get him on monday also?

 

Surely no one can complain with this signing.At 60 grand its a steal !!Not saying hes a superstar but a decent wee player who just might make the step up and challenge the 1st team IMO

 

This is good. He could be back up to Brown. Similar type of player.

I just put him on my list of best players outside the Old Firm thread as well lol.

 

exactly another player that will likely never see the light of day in the first team squad. Just what we need.

We already have that sort of back-up player in Paul McGowan do we not?

 

I would love to see him at Celtic. Great player and good on the ball.