Scott Burns has flagged up Celtic’s interest in Owen Beck with the defender in a very unique transfer position.
An injury crisis at left-back saw Liverpool recall the 21-year-old from his loan spell with Dundee but a single minute of action will mean that Beck can’t play for anyone else this season.
It seems a precarious base for your transfer policy but as the transfer windows draws to a close strange things happen with previously unavailable players are suddenly on offer.
Liverpool are away to Chelsea on the evening of January 31, with the SFA Transfer Window closing at 11pm on February 1 there could be some late activity to keep fans on edge as Burns suggests in the Daily Record:
Celtic could make a permanent bid for Owen Beck – providing Jurgen Klopp doesn’t throw him into his Liverpool team before the end of the month.
The champions declared their interest in the left-back after his success in the first half of the season on loan at Dundee but the move was knocked back by Liverpool and they recalled him because they had defensive issues.
Beck has still to play for the Reds and providing that remains the case then that leaves the door open for Celtic. If he does play for Liverpool in the coming days then it would rule out another move, as he would have already played for two teams this season.
The Welshman has recently broken into the Welsh squad and is keen to boost his international ambitions. Beck is keen to play regular first-team football but could end up fourth choice at Liverpool with Andy Robertson and Konstantinos Tsimikas both close to returning. He is currently back-up to Joe Gomez in the Anfield pecking order.
If Beck goes out on loan it would seem that regular first team football, similar to at Dundee will be their proprity. With Greg Taylor’s status at Celtic that would seem unlikely but Burns is probably the best connected reporter at the Record for transfer news across a variety of clubs.
Liverpool take on Bournemouth at 4.30pm today, it is unlikely that Beck will start but anything could happen that would see him make his EPL debut after 20 appearances on loan for Dundee, including facing Celtic home and away.
With Alexandro Bernabei almost disappearing without trace Celtic seem utterly dependent on Taylor to play at left-back.
An injury, loss of form or fatigue can’t be ruled out with the former Kilmarnock man starting every single SPFL match this season.
When he arrived from Shamrock Rovers in August 2021 Liam Scales was described as a left sided, in his debut season he did play a few matches at left-back.
Since going to Aberdeen in the summer of 2022 Scales has played all of his football in central defence, starting every Celtic match since being paired with Gus Lagerbielke at home to St Johnstone in August.
Taking the Irishman out of central defence would be far from ideal but as things stand that would be the most likely option if anything happened to Taylor.
UPDATE: Beck came off the bench in the 83rd minute of Liverpool’s 4-0 win at Bournemouth meaning that he can’t play for another club this season.
CLICK HERE for summer signing that has Rodgers purring
CLICK HERE for Beck’s Soccerbase profile.
