Celtic have started their winter transfer business well as they have snapped up three players within the first ten days of the month. It was no surprise that they concentrated on bolstering their strike force after what had transpired in the summer with Moussa Dembele’s departure.
To go with that, Leigh Griffiths is currently unavailable for personal reasons, so Brendan Rodgers has done well to fill up the attacking side of the squad by bringing in the likes of Timothy Weah, Vakoun Issouf Bayo and Oliver Burke.
After this, they need to look at their defensive line and one place where they definitely need more options is the right back position. The Hoops have been heavily linked (Daily Mail) with a move for Atlanta full back Timothy Castagne and they should now focus all their attention to bring the Belgian international to Celtic Park.
It was believed that the Hoops were set to table a £6m bid for him, but later on, the Serie A outfit slapped a £10m (Cittaceleste) price tag on the 23-year-old. The right-back is there for the taking as he seemingly doesn’t share the best of relationship with Atlanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini. Not too long ago he had said, ”I spoke more with (Belgium coach) Roberto Martinez in one day than I spoke in a year and a half with Gasperini. I need playing time to stay. Everything can go very fast in the world of football.”
Castagne hasn’t done poorly in the chances he has got, but as of now, he is yet to be a nailed-on starter in Atlanta’s lineup. That could be the reason why he might look to move away and apart from the Hoops, Swansea City are also interested (Wales Online) in his signature.
Mikael Lustig can open up pre-contract talks with Swedish outfit AIK in January, and he could be on his way out of the club when his contract expires after the season ends. The 31-year-old has definitely been one of the weak links at the back in the past few months, and we wouldn’t be wrong in saying that quite a few fans would want to see him replaced.
Castagne is definitely the answer for Rodgers, and the 23-year-old can be a real long term option for the Bhoys. The fact that he has already represented Belgium showcases his talent as the Red Devils are currently one of the best national teams around. The full-back is strong on the offence as well as the defence. We believe it’s time for Celtic to launch a full-on raid for him to solve their right back woes once and for all.
