According to reports in the Daily Mail, Celtic are looking to bolster their defensive line by bringing in French u-20 international Harold Moukoudi. The centre-half currently plies his trade for Ligue 2 outfit Le Havre and generated a good amount of interest when the English transfer window was open. He was closely linked with West Ham United and Fulham, but no deals materialised then. Now Aston Villa are also after his services so Rodgers would have to move in quick if he wants to get his hand on the talented centre-half.
Player Profile
Full name – Harold Moukoudi
Date of birth – 27/11/1997
Born In – Bondy, France
Height – 6ft3in
Position – Centre Back
Current Club: Le Havre
National team: France
Brief History
His first football club was US Nogent which the defender joined when he was just six. Moukoudi moved to Le Havre when he was 12, and that is where his real footballing journey began. His primary claim to fame happened when he started representing France at various youth levels. Since then, he has been one of the best young defenders to come out of the French circuit. He has represented France at almost all youth levels from u-16 to u-20.
Last season, the defender was a regular for his side and made 44 appearances in all competitions. He has already been part of all the games so far this season.
Player Strength
Standing at 6ft3 inches, Moukoudi is great in the air and helps the team in attacking set pieces. His concentration is one of his strong suits and is not caught napping which is often the case with young defenders. He is extremely hard working and his application while on the pitch is never in doubt.
While on the ball, the defender shows great confidence and can handle himself well. The 20-year-old is often unfazed by the opposition’s pressing as he trusts his control on the ball. All in all, the Frenchman is a decent defender, but it could be interesting to see how he would step up if he is thrown into bigger challenges.
Player Weaknesses
Having not played outside of Ligue 2 will be his biggest weak point. Le Havre have been playing hardball in letting him leave, but we believe he needs to take the next big step to test his footballing skills at the top level. The centre-half might seem comfortable on the ball, but he tends to provide some sloppy passes now and then. So he should work on his distribution skills.
Moukoudi is likely to be used more as a backup option at the Parkhead, however, the way things are going in defence currently, he can very well get a chance to prove himself in the first eleven. Celtic would be keen to hold on to Dedryck Boyata in the last few hours of the transfer window and if they keep him, expect them to not go too hard for this impressive Frenchman.
