Celtic are easily the best team in the Scottish Premiership at the moment, and apart from the points table which doesn’t doubt that claim for a second, their 2-1 win over second-placed Rangers more or less cemented the claim.
Brendan Rodgers clearly has a squad which is better in every department than all other teams in the Scottish Premiership. The Bhoys are 19 points ahead of the immediate team under them, Rangers, at the moment and have the league well in their grasp.
However, their move for their latest recruit, Koussa Eboue, is by no means a luxury buy and Rodgers is clearly thinking long-term with his January signings. The only position seriously understaffed in the Celtic setup is their pivot. Apart from the experienced skipper Scott Brown and Stuart Armstrong, Rodgers hardly had a proper midfielder who could be a diligent box-to-box player.
Given the massive lead that Celtic have over others in the domestic league, Rodgers now has enough time to get Eboue accustomed to the team, which clearly explains their struggle and urgency with the work permit of the player. The next challenge is obviously the European tournament where Rodgers wouldn’t want to just qualify and get ousted in the knockout stages anymore.
However, advancing in the Champions League is a different ball game and Rodgers need more quality than his current set of players to excel in that platform. And it would definitely be a delightful news for him that one of Netherland’s best footballers, Rafael van der Vaart, has expressed his desire to play in the Scottish League for either Celtic and Rangers, according to The Sunday Post.
Van der Vaart has played with some of the biggest clubs across Europe and having him at disposal was never really in the plans of any Scottish club. Although the former Netherland skipper, who took the team to the 2010 World Cup final, turns 34 next month and his best days are practically over, his rich technique and leadership qualities can definitely help any club to reach another level.
He currently plays in Denmark for FC Midtjylland, which he joined in August in 2016, where his contract is for another 18 months and a move before that is very much possible. Given the handsome salary, he draws from the club, Celtic looks like the ideal destination in Scotland for him.
An Ajax Amsterdam academy product, Rafael van der Vaart has played for Real Madrid, Hamburg SV and Tottenham Hotspur among the elites. He has played in 527 matches so far, where he has scored 171 goals and assisted 112 times. His career is flooded with brilliant goals whether its great solo efforts or dazzling link-up plays.
Given how deadly he could be from set-pieces and getting the ball up from the deep, Celtic would surely welcome him with open hands. After all Celtic would be able to A) Realistically still be able to afford to pay the salary of Van Der Vaart and B) Make The Dutchman feel like a champion. Wonder what Sevco Rangers can give him? (Banter)
