London Calling Victor Wanyama
After becoming the first ever Kenyan to score in a UEFA Champions League match, Victor Wanyama’s stock value in the world market has risen to higher grounds.
Two years into a four year deal with Celtic, it’s no secret that Wanyama has caught the attention of many Premier League and European sides. His amazing skill set in the holding midfield position, along with his aggressive box-to-box game, would offer a huge boost to any club’s campaign.
But in an interview last month, Wanyama stated that he was happy as a Celtic, and that he will stay there next season. It is uncommon for an athlete to show this kind of compassion towards his mother club, particularly in football, where clubs from all over the world are continuously scouting for talents to import and develop in their program.
Like Wanyama, a then highly recruited 21-year-old Sam Nasri surprised a lot of his French fans by officially transferring to Premier League club, Arsenal, a couple of months after signing a contract extension with his French club Marseille FC. The deal caught many people by surprise, but it was later disclosed that the extension Nasri signed was a procedure to give Marseille a higher transfer fee for Nasri.
Victor Wanyama and French superstar Sam Nasri are both midfielders, but have different facets in their game. Wanyama is more of a forceful defensive midfielder, while Nasri is a finesse winger and attacking midfielder. The common denominator of both players is their impact at their respective positions that makes them highly-recruited players.
The persistent arrival of foreign-born talents in the grandest stage of football stadiums and leagues is a testament to the globalization of the sport and the money being poured into the English game. It reaches previously undiscovered football talents and gives them the chance to progress and play the sport they love in front of an international crowd.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the talent of Wanyama in football is exceptional and there are still a ton of hidden treasures waiting to be discovered from this 21-year-old. For obvious reasons, Wanyama is a favourite among Celtic fans and is considered by many to be the club’s most valuable player. At the pace he is developing, it is not impossible that he may reach his full potential soon.
The question that still lingers in people’s minds though is whether or not he remains loyal to Celtic, or pull-off another Sam Nasri and transfer to a bigger market league. With his growing list of accolades and interest from other European league clubs, Celtic has to step up their bid in keeping Wanyama in Celtic Park for a long time.