Celtic and Crystal Palace are fighting it out for Hearts fullback Aaron Hickey, according to reports in England. The Eagles are said to be willing to match the teenager’s £1.5m asking price but the Hoops are reluctant to do so.
Palace’s offer would also see Hickey return to Tynecastle on loan for the rest of the season in order to get game time but the player is said to be keener on a move back to Celtic, where he played in the club’s youth academy between 2017 and 2018.
Competition is high for the 17-year-old who has also been heavily linked with English champions Manchester City in recent months.
Fans on Twitter are debating whether a move for Hickey would be a good idea:
Would be a great signing tho I’d loan him back to hearts for the next 18 months and let him develop
— Amerigo Bonasera (@mickreilly67) 20 January 2020
I'd take him
— MARK HUGHES (@GOLDENCHILD111) 20 January 2020
So we let the boy go in 2018 and then have to pay money to get him back?! To sit on the bench!?….doubtful.
— Sean Rooney (@Srooney67) 20 January 2020
So Lenny will have brought in 6 FBs in 6months, 1 CB, 1 FW and no CM. Wtf!
— Comte de Lautreamont (@ComtedeLautrea2) 20 January 2020
Good young player but needs a lot of work with his positioning gets caught out far too often would deffo be a project
— Geo (@Brycie59) 20 January 2020
Pass.
— Jp Minimoy (@JMinimoy) 20 January 2020
They can keep him, he’s mince
— Barry Cassidy (@barry_cassidy67) 20 January 2020
No no no
— SupremeLeader ™ ? (@KevinSinclair94) 20 January 2020
Another project?
— Belfast Bhoy (@BxlfastBhoy) 20 January 2020
Celtic do have two first-team left-backs in Boli Bolingoli and Greg Taylor already, but Hickey would very much be an investment for the future. Whether they see him being worth £1.5m, though, it remains to be seen.
