Moussa Dembele casts quite a large shadow at Celtic, and for the past two seasons that’s where Leigh Griffiths has operated. While Premier League clubs have been linked with the French striker, Griffiths has been somewhat overlooked. Not by Celtic fans, who recognise just how important the striker is to their team, but by those who dictate the true worth of a player.
Of course, many will point out that Griffiths has all but kept up with Dembele in the goalscoring stakes, dragging Celtic into the group stages of the Champions League as the Frenchman struggled with injury, but one is still deemed to be worth more than the other. Much more.
That is fair, to a certain extent. Dembele has struggled to find his groove this season, but at 21 years old he is only likely to get better. At 27, Griffiths is most probably at the top of his game. That still make him an exceptional talent, though, and others outside Scotland are finally starting to recognise that.
Swansea City have been linked with a move for the Scotland International this month, with Sporting KC of MLS also reported to be interested in the striker. It seems somewhat farfetched that Griffiths would join the latter, but he can’t deny the lure of the Premier League, even if the Swans currently find themselves battling the drop at the wrong end of the table.
Griffiths tried his luck down south before, making the move from Dundee to Wolves six years ago. He failed to make much of an impression at Molineux, although his records of 12 goals in 26 games isn’t as bad as many make out. Nonetheless, he returned to Scotland not long after, signing for Hibernian on loan before joining Celtic permanently in 2014.
There may still linger an urge to prove himself at a higher level, although at Swansea Griffiths wouldn’t have the chance to play in the Champions League like he currently does at Celtic. What’s more, there’s the possibility that Dembele might leave Glasgow this January, with Brighton particularly keen on the young Frenchman. Should he depart, Griffiths would be left as the Hoops’ only proven centre forward. The kingdom would be his.
It’s entirely possible that Griffiths would reject the overtures of the Premier League in order to remain at Celtic, the club where he has flourished over the past few years, but Swansea might wish to test the Hoops’ resolve with an offer. After all, Griffiths is precisely the sort of striker they need.
Under Paul Clement, the Swans became an utterly stagnant attacking outfit. Much of that was down to the sale of Fernando Llorente and Gylfi Sigurdsson in the summer, but regardless of how they got into the situation, Swansea are now in desperate need of someone to live up things in the attacking third of the pitch.
That’s where Griffiths would come in. Energy is the Celtic striker’s best quality. He is irrepressible, running the channels and getting in behind opposition defences. He stretches the pitch and constantly asks questions of defenders. His finishing, at times, can be wayward, but that’s an area where he has enjoyed great improvement in recent seasons. Swansea could really use Griffiths at this point in time.
There have been suggestions of friction between Brendan Rodgers and Griffiths this season, although both men have been quick to play that down. But at 27, Griffiths might fancy one last shot at cracking the Premier League while he is still at the peak of his powers. He’s achieved all he can at Celtic, and while that has given him great enjoyment he might wish to test himself one more time.
