Celtic may miss out on a deal to bring Scotland international Lennon Miller to Glasgow before the end of the current summer transfer window.
Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, as relayed by 67HailHail, former Scottish forward Ross McCormack claimed that the midfield star is likely to be heading abroad instead.
The ex-Fulham and Leeds star said: “I’ve said it for quite a while that I think he would be perfect in Celtic’s midfield. But from all the noises that I have heard – sort of people who are in and around Motherwell and all that – seems to be that he is going to be going abroad.
“When he sees the success your Lewis Ferguson, Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour are having over in Serie A, he might just want a piece of that and sort of get out of the limelight which Glasgow would bring.”
SportsBoom recently reported that both Celtic and Rangers have explored a deal to sign the FWA Young Player of the Year, amid interest from Premier League side Sunderland.
If what McCormack has heard is true, though, then the Hoops are set to miss out on a move for the Scottish central midfielder this summer.
Why missing out on Lennon Miller is a blow for Celtic
Missing out on a deal for the Scotland international should be seen as a blow for the Bhoys because he is a talented young star who could have been a key player for Brendan Rodgers.
The 18-year-old star, as aforementioned, won the FWA Young Player of the Year award in the Scottish Premiership, which illustrates just how impressive he was in midfield for Motherwell this season.
Miller started 32 of their 38 league games and caught the eye with his contributions in and out of possession, with two goals and eight assists for his side.
As you can see in the table below, the teenage starlet also stacked up well against his positional peers in a host of key defensive metrics in the Premiership.
Tackle success rate
68%
Top 28%
Duels won
5.84
Top 36%
Duel success rate
53%
Top 31%
Interceptions
1.38
Top 14%
Ball recoveries
6.52
Top 10%
Blocks
0.48
Top 28%
These statistics illustrate why it is a blow for the Hoops to seemingly be on course to miss out on a deal to sign the Scotland international from Motherwell this summer, as he has shown that he can perform well in and out of possession in the top-flight already.
However, this does also provide Celtic with an opportunity to look elsewhere and find alternative midfield targets, which is the case with their latest reported pursuit of a Scottish star.
Celtic ramp up pursuit of Premier League midfielder
According to Football Insider, the Premiership champions are interested in a deal to sign £1.6m West Ham United central midfielder Andy Irving in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Hoops are set to ramp up their efforts to bring the Scotland international to Parkhead to bolster their options in the middle of the park for next season.
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It adds that West Ham are prepared to cash in on the left-footed maestro after he rarely featured for Julen Lopetegui or Graham Potter in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign.
Former scout Mick Brown described him as a top-flight level player, though, as he told Football Insider: “They’re in a difficult market, it’s not easy to sign Premier League-level players, but if one becomes available like he has, I think they’ll be all over it.”
Football Insider also reveals that Irving is a leading target for the Hoops, as they eye a new midfielder, and that they are set to accelerate their plans to sign him now that the window is open again.
Why Celtic should sign Andy Irving
Celtic should sign Irving as a dream alternative to Miller as a midfield signing because he may be a better stylistic fit for the Hoops than the Motherwell man would be.
The 18-year-old star is not used to playing in a team that dominates possession with plenty of touches and passes each game, whilst the West Ham gem’s form in the 2024/25 Premier League season suggests that he would suit Celtic’s way of playing.
Passes made
60.00
28.26
Pass accuracy
90.0%
72%
Long passes made
3.89
3.34
Long pass accuracy
87.5%
42%
Cross accuracy
50%
25%
Touches
87.78
61.36
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed midfielder is far more used to handling the ball and controlling games as an efficient passer, taking plenty of touches per 90, which is needed in a Hoops team that averaged 75.1% of the ball per game in the league this season.
Irving did not provide any goals or assists in his ten outings in the Premier League, though, but he did catch the eye from an offensive perspective during his time with Klagenfurt in Austria in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.
The 25-year-old whiz racked up 14 goals and ten assists in two seasons with the Austrian side, which shows that the potential is there for him to provide quality in front of goal, as Miller did for Motherwell this term.
Irving also made 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game and won 50% of his duels in the 2023/24 Bundesliga season, illustrating that he can also offer defensive strength when needed.
Overall, the West Ham outcast appears to be a dream alternative to Miller because of his suitability to the ball-dominant style of play, his attacking potential, and his competency defensively.
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It is now down to the club to ensure that they can agree a deal with the Hammers to bring Irving over to Glasgow before the end of the summer transfer window, now that it seems unlikely that they will be able to snap up Miller from Motherwell.