Everybody knows that Celtic wanted to sign former Hibernian FC midfielder John McGinn in the summer, but the midfielder snubbed Celtic’s advances and went on to join English outfit Aston Villa in the summer. This was seen as a massive chance missed by the club as McGinn has all the ingredients to be a midfield powerhouse for years to come and he is certainly proving that in Villa colours currently.
However, there was another target which we feel the Hoops missed out on and he currently seems to be a bigger miss that McGinn. The player we are talking about is Fabian Schar. Reports from Spanish media outlet El Desmarque in the summer claimed that Celtic were interested in making a move for the former Deportivo defender.
Given that Deportvio got relegated from the La Liga last season, the Swiss defender was available on a cut-price deal, and Newcastle United went on to beat Celtic and trigger his release clause to sign him for a fee of £3m.
Apparently, that was a similar amount (£3.5m) to the one Aberdeen had rejected for their defender Scott McKenna and later it was reported that the club wants £10m (Daily Record) for their Scottish international. Latest reports claim that Celtic are set to revive their interest in him, and it remains to be seen whether the Hoops would oblige and make him their costliest signing ever by paying £10m.
Someone like Schar was available in their limited budget and given his performance at the Tyneside; it seems like the Swiss international would have been a bargain for Celtic. The Magpies have won three games so far this season, and incidentally, Schar has been part of all of them. The defender has put in some strong performances, and there is no doubt in our mind that he would have been a massive success at Park Head given his performance in the English top flight so far.
The Hoops could soon be in need of a defender as Dedryck Boyata is likely to leave the club by next season. Filip Benkovic is also just on a season-long loan, and there could be a big headache for the Hoops if they don’t solve their defensive issues in the next two transfer windows.
The club is doing well currently as Boyata and Benkovic have formed a strong partnership but when both of them were unavailable at the beginning of the season, the Bhoys struggled, and that is probably what cost them a place in the Champions League this season.
Schar is currently 26, and he would have been the perfect mix of youth plus experience. Signing him would have saved the club millions (If they sign McKenna for £10 odd million in the future) but now Brendan Rodgers must look at other options in the upcoming transfer window.
