Victor Wanyama currently plays in Belgium for Germinal Beerschot
Neil Lennon’s bid to add a Kenyan international to his multi-cultural Celtic squad could be dependent on getting the green light from the San Siro.
Victor Wanyama is the million-Euro target for the Hoops. But the teenage midfielder, currently playing for Belgian club Germinal Beerschot, is heavily influenced by his older brother, McDonald Mariga, who plays for Inter Milan.
Wanyama is an orphan, and the career of the man who won his first full cap for Kenya as a 15-year-old has been directed by his sibling since he left his homeland to join Helsingborg’s youth set-up in Sweden.
McDonald Mariga gave his little brother his blessing to accept the chance to move to Belgium three years ago, and he is once again helping direct operations as the kid who turns 20 this week prepares to make his next big move.
Beerschot are awaiting a formal offer from Parkhead, but appear resigned to the fact they are about to lose the player.
In fact, they have already signed his replacement, Sani Kaita, a Nigerian who is moving from Salonika in Greece and will arrive in Antwerp on Friday.
Press officer of the Juliper League club, Danny Geerts, is aware Wanyama is being pursued, and believes 24-year-old McDonald Mariga will have a big say in what the youngster decides to do, with other interest surfacing from Premier League new boys Swansea City today.
He said: “His brother is a very big influence on Victor, and a good influence. I am sure he will be giving him advice.
“It is on the cards that Victor is going to leave because he is very talented.”
Celtic hope they can convince all involved that they offer the best career move for the powerfully-built midfielder, who can also play in central defence.
The indications are he could become Lennon’s first purchase in this transfer window, but progress has to be carefully negotiated as the paperwork could be a complication, because Wanyama does not hold a European Union passport.
Indeed, when he joined Beerschot, there was a delay because he has no parents, and the Belgian authorities were reluctant to allow him to move to the country until arrangements were put in place for him to receive the support required for an individual of his age.
“There were problems getting a visa for Victor, and he needed someone in Belgium to agree to look after him,” explained Geerts.
“There was a lot of red tape to get through. But eventually we got it sorted and he was able to sign.”
Beerschot saw Wanyama as a long-term project, like so many of the teenage players Belgian clubs bring in from Africa. However, he soon showed enough in their youth set-up to merit promotion to the first team.
Initially, Wanyama was deployed in a holding midfield role where his 6ft 2in frame allowed him to protect the back line.
However, he was moved back into defence as Beerschot struggled in the league, and Geerts admitted the teenager found it tough to adjust.
“In the first game he played in defence, away against Anderlecht, he was red- carded,” he recalled.
“That was down to his inexperience, and he had to learn what challenges he could and could not make.”
Even when he reverted to midfield, Wanyama’s robust style kept the referees busy. Most recently, he served a four-game suspension after being caught on video elbowing an opponent, an incident missed at the time by the match officials.
The physical nature of the SPL would hold no fears for Wanyama, who Geerts reckons has already shown he can more than look after himself.
“Victor is strong, good in the air, quite quick across the ground, and has a good attitude on the field.”
However, Geerts’ summation of the prospect carried the caveat: “The down side is his attitude off the field. Let’s just say there is a lot for young men to do in Antwerp.”
In the 12 months Celtic have been tracking Wanyama, they have had every opportunity to assess his behaviour on and off the field, and are clearly satisfied that he is continuing to mature.
He was one of the few successes in a struggling Beerschot side last season, and the club are not surprised that the interest in him is growing as a result.
“West Brom were mentioned last summer, and two clubs from Russia asked the club if he would be willing to move there,” added Geerts.
“At first, Victor was not keen on a move to Russia. But when the money they were willing to pay him was mentioned, he became more keen. However, no offers came in for Victor, and he continued to play for us.”
Beerschot – who have appointed Dirk Schoofs as their new team manager after a season fighting against relegation – are refusing to go public on the fee they are seeking to obtain for Wanyama.
But a price tag of around £900,000 appears to be the trigger which could fire him towards Parkhead – big brother permitting.
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