Centre back is one of the areas which is going to create trouble for Celtic in the near future as the likes of Dedryck Boyata, and Filip Benkovic would leave the club by the end of this season. Therefore we believe it’s imperative for the club to start early in looking for replacements and the January window is going to give them perfect opportunity to size up some of their options. One such player we believe that the club should go for is Swansea City’s Joe Rodon.
The Welsh centre-half was even linked with a move to Celtic Park last year, but nothing materialised, and the player stayed put at the Liberty City Stadium. This season he has been a crucial player for Graham Potter in the Swans’ setup and has helped his side to keep it tight at the back. The Welsh outfit currently have the second best defensive record in the Championship and Rodon has played a big part in that.
Manchester City were also once said to be interested in the player so one can understand how highly he is rated. Some articles have even compared him with England’s star centre-back John Stones because of their similar playing style. What sets Rodon apart is his ball playing skills and his ability to carry the ball from the back, and we believe he can be a long-term solution for the Hoops.
What should make Celtic more interested in this defender is that he is in the final year of his contract and the Hoops should look to go all out to land Rodon in January. We expect Swansea to play hardball as they are themselves fighting to get promoted to the Premier League and selling one of the prime defenders in January would definitely derail their campaign.
However, a good offer could turn the club’s head as they know that winter transfer period is the last opportunity when they can make money on him and maybe selling in January for decent money won’t be a bad idea even from the Swans’ point of view.
Celtic are still on course to continue their domination in Scotland, but the loss of Dedryk Boyata is going to be a big one for them. The likes of Jack Hendry and Jozo Simunovic have been inconsistent and have only done well in patches. After the Belgian departs, the club should be on the lookout for a long-term centre-half. The 21-year-old has all the capabilities of becoming a top player at Celtic Park, and the club should definitely monitor Rodon’s situation in the January window.
