Stoke City have completed the signing of Celtic midfielder Bosun Lawal on a four-year deal.
The 21-year-old has appeared just once for the Hoops senior side, but also turned our four times for their B-team in the Scottish Cup.
However, a hugely impressive spell with League One Fleetwood has alerted the Potters, who have paid a reported £2 million for his services. They began their campaign with a 1-0 win against Coventry City this weekend, in front of 25,000 supporters.
Lawal admitted that Stoke was a huge draw despite leaving one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
“The Club is massive,” he told their official website. “It didn’t need selling to me, but when I spoke to Glenn Whelan and Charlie Adam, who coached me for Ireland and Fleetwood, what they said about Stoke City really excites me for my journey here.
“The gaffer and Jon are full of ambition and that really attracted me, they want to take the Club back to the highest level.”
Lawal has been capped by Ireland up to Under 21 level, appearing 12 times without yet breaking into the senior side. He began his career with St Kevin’s Boys, the same club that Liam Brady, Damien Duff and Ian Harte started with. He ended up at Celtic via a stint with Watford, but despite his growing reputation, was unable to break into the first team plans.
He joins a Stoke side hunting a return to the Championship for the first time since 2018. Despite spending well, they’ve failed to finish higher than 14th during their time back in the second tier, but now see Lawal as a route to closing in on a play-off spot.
“Our ambitions are perfectly aligned,” said Sporting Director Jonathan Walters. “We believe he possesses all the attributes to reach the very top of the game. He is not only a fantastic addition to our squad but also a key part of our long term vision for the Club.”
Lawal is in line to make his debut for Stoke tomorrow night, as they travel north to face League Two side Carlisle United in the EFL Trophy.
In an ironic twist, he could make his league debut for them this weekend against his former club, Watford.
Writer’s View
Lawal was immense for Fleetwood last season, catching the eye of anyone who saw them play. He’s strong and dominant and plays with the air of someone much more experienced than his 21 years.
However, he will need to grow quickly if he is to impact Stoke. They’ve been average for too long now, especially after those Premier League years when they finished ninth three seasons in a row and were runners-up in the FA Cup.
Their fans have been starved of success, denied a play-off challenge and been content with mediocrity for too long. They began this campaign with a 1-0 win against Coventry City, a decent win, but bringing in the likes of Lawal shows a long-term strategy that fans can cling to.
If he gets a run of games, he could be the next big thing to impress on the Championship stage.
