Celtic Transfer Options - CB

Kristoffer Ajer looks set to leave Celtic this summer. The Norwegian has been a great servant to the club over the past few years but it appears he will move on to bigger things. Celtic brought in youngster Osaze Urhoghide earlier this summer but it is unclear whether or not he will see much first team action in the coming campaign. Stephen Welsh featured heavily towards the end of last season however Ange Postecoglou may want a more reliable option. Here’s 5 options. 

Kiki Kouyate - Christopher Jullien joined Celtic from a Ligue 1 club and so could Kiki Kouyate. The Malian plays for Metz who finished 10th in the French top flight in the 20/21 season. He only joined Metz from second division team Troyes in the summer of 2020 however after some accomplished displays this season, the 24 year old could earn himself a move away. Kouyate’s overriding strengths are his tackles, interceptions and aerial ability. He is a big threat in the opposition box at set pieces, standing at 6”4. Kouyate strikes me as a sort of player of the Bobo Balde mould; thoroughly solid and someone who strikes fear in the heart of opposition attackers. Some of Kouyate’s for the 20/21 season are rather incredible. He averaged 2.4 tackles per game with the same number of interceptions per game last season. I mentioned how Kouyate is superb in the air, well, he won an average of 4 aerials per game in the 20/21 season. Kouyate isn’t too good with his passing however, he only made 28 per game last season. Christopher Jullien made 61. Kouyate though could definitely succeed next to a defensive partner who excels in passing, such as Jullien. Kouyate has only been at Metz for around a year, as stated earlier, so in order to lure the 24 year old to Glasgow, Celtic may have to pay a sizeable fee for someone who still has three years left on their current deal. 

Paddy McNair - A product of the Manchester United youth academy, Paddy McNair has seen a resurgence in his career in the past three seasons after joining Middlesbrough however it is in the 20/21 season since he’s been deployed as a centre back where he’s really improved. The Northern Irishman played every single one of Middlesbrough’s Championship games this season, helping them to a 10th place finish. Because McNair used to be a central midfielder, his ball playing capabilities are evident when playing in the centre of defence. He averaged 1.1 key passes per game in the 20/21 Championship season as well as creating an average of 1.2 chances per game in the same time frame. The 26 year old spent lack defensively either, he made 1.3 tackles per game with as well as 1.3 interceptions per match in Middlesborough’s 20/21 Championship campaign. McNair is also somewhat of a set piece specialist; he made one cross per game last season, getting 7 assists. The Northern Irishman is also highly experienced at international level and has made 47 caps for his country, no player in the current Celtic team has played more games for their nation. Tom Rogic comes closest, the Australian also has 47 appearances for his country. McNair is just coming into his prime, he joined Middlesbrough for around £5 million 3 years ago and the Riverside club would in all likelihood want to make a profit on one of their star performers this season. 

Becir Omeragic - The youngest player to feature so far in this series of potential transfer targets for Celtic is Becir Omeragic. The 19 year old plays for FC Zurich in his homeland and has been there his whole career, racking up 55 appearances for the Swiss side. Omeragic has been named one of the bright prospects in Swiss football and it’s clear to see why. The young defender was part of the Switzerland squad that were knocked out of Euro 2020 at the quarter final stage by Spain on penalties. Omeragic has 4 caps to his name at the tender age of 19 however he didn’t get a chance to make his mark at the Euros this summer. His club side, FC Zurich, avoided relegation from the Swiss top flight by 7 points in the 20/21 season. Zurich conceded the 3rd most goals in the league; they let in 57 in 36 games. In the 20/21 Swiss Super League campaign, Omeragic averaged 1 successful tackle per game along with 1.3 interceptions per match. The teenager made an average of 28 accurate passes per match for a team which had the least average possession in the league. Omeragic also impressively made 1.1 successful dribbles per match, Kristoffer Ajer made 0.8 in the SPFL in 20/21. It would be mightily interesting to see how Omeragic would fair in a team like Celtic who dominate possession. His ball playing capabilities and pace could make him an ideal replacement for Kristoffer Ajer and just like the Norwegian, Omeragic can also be deployed at right back. The only stumbling block to a possible deal would be the 19 year old’s price tag. It is reported FC Zurich want around £12 million for his services but this looks highly unlikely for a side which merely avoided relegation.

Micky van de Ven - All the centre backs we’ve looked at up until this point have been right footed. What separates Micky van de Ven from them is the fact he is left footed. You may not think much of this however having a left footed player along side a right footed player in the heart of the defence can make a huge difference in build up play. van de Ven plays for FC Volendam in the Dutch Eerste Divisie, the second division of football in the Netherlands. His side finished 6th in the table last season, losing out on promotion to the Eredivisie after a 4-1 defeat to NAC Breda in the play offs. van de Ven is only 20 years old but don’t let his lack of experience fool you. The Dutchman has made 47 appearances throughout his career for FC Volendam, 27 of them came in the 20/21 season. In those 27 games, he averaged 1.3 tackles per game and exactly 2 interceptions each match. van de Ven is also adept in taking the ball out from the back and picking a precise pass. He made 1.4 successful dribbles per match and 65 accurate passes each game in the 20/21 season. His passing also has an incredible 92% completion rate. The 20 year old would also bring invaluable leadership qualities to Celtic, being captain of FC Volendam at such a young age. van de Ven, though, won’t be short of potential suitors this summer. Last year, there was interest from Ajax and AZ Alkmaar. This summer, Wolfsburg have been the latest team linked. van de Ven will definitely want a move out of the second division of Dutch football this summer; Celtic could offer him game time and the experience of European football. 

Cameron Burgess - I’ve talked a lot so far about modern day centre backs and how most of the players on this list have been able to take the ball out from the back and find an accurate pass. Cameron Burgess is an exception to this however one of the reasons he has been chosen is the fact he’s left footed. The 25 year old is your typical, no nonsense defender. He plays for Accrington Stanley in English League One and made 47 appearances in all competitions last season. Burgess stands at 6”4 and is a monster in the air. He won an incredible 6.8 aerials each match in the 20/21 season as well as 1.5 tackles per game. Burgess also has ties to Australian football, and with Ange Postecoglou being an Aussie, this could be helpful. Burgess represented the nation at under 19 and under 23 level after changing his allegiances from Scotland. Burgess made an average of 2.1 interceptions per match in the 20/21 season; Kristoffer Ajer made 1.5. Burgess may not be tried and tested at the top level, having played for the likes of Scunthorpe, Salford City and Bury but there is no getting away from the statistics. A player like the 25 year old May be worth taking a chance on.