According to the latest reports from Greek media outlet SDNA, Olympiacos defender Omar Elabdellaoui is a target for Celtic in the upcoming summer transfer window. Reports also add that Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City are also interested in this Norwegian international. It is no surprise that Rodgers is interested in the 27-year-old as Celtic were linked with him in January.
Elabdellaoui came up from Manchester City’s academy and later went on to leave the club as he was struggling to get game time in Manchester. The right-back has been at Olympiacos since 2014 and has won three League titles with them. This season Olympiacos are likely to finish second as PAOK have already secured the title.
Reports add that Olympiacos would demand €5m for Elabdellaoui in the summer. The right-back has played 30 games across all competitions this season and has managed four goals and seven assists. The Hoops have been linked with plenty of fullbacks in the past year, and we expect the club to sign one right back in the summer.
Why does Celtic need to add a right back?
It is no rocket science as Celtic are set to lose three right backs in the next transfer window. On-loan signing Jeremy Toljan has disappointed, and we don’t see the Hoops bringing him permanently to Celtic Park. Cristian Gamboa and Mikael Lustig are in the final few months of their contract, and there are no signs yet that the club would offer either one of them an extension.
Therefore the club will need to add options in the right-back department, and Omar Elabdellaoui seems to have emerged as a strong contender right now.
Threats for Celtic
Leicester City and Southampton are said to be interested, and the spending power of the Premier League teams can make it tough for Celtic. The Foxes are also in the race to secure Europa League qualifiers so the defender might opt to move to England.
Why should Celtic look to sign him?
Elabdellaoui has been a bit of a late bloomer, and he is currently at the peak of his powers. His performance this season has been really impressive, and Celtic will be adding a solid fullback with decent overall attributes. The defender has that extra bit of pace which will make him a handy addition down the right, and his stamina and work rate are also impressive. At 27 he is not a really long term option, but he can be a valuable addition to the side.
