Celtic are cruising towards the title as they edged out Kilmarnock by one goal to nil at the weekend. The Hoops are getting that much closer to the treble, but they will have a tough few months off the pitch in the transfer market.
Quite a few players are on loan, and some are in the final few months of their contract. Their managerial position is also undecided (although it is hard to bet against Lennon at this point), and the Hoops need to look at some transfer targets for the summer.
Why Celtic need a defender?
One area where they will have to add options is in central defence. The Bhoys will lose the likes of Filip Benkovic and Dedryck Boyata. Both of them were immense at the back when they were available. Kristoffer Ajer and Jozo Simunovic have done well at the back, but Lennon would need to add more options in defence.
Who can fill in?
One player they can go after is Phil Jagielka of Everton. The English defender is in the final few months of his contract, and we don’t see him getting an extension. The defender has been a loyal servant for the Merseyside club for over a decade now, but it seems like his time has come as he played just six games in the Premier League this season.
Why Jagielka can be a decent bet?
However, he has shown that he can still do a job in defence. The defender recently helped his side in keeping a cleansheet against Arsenal, and we feel that he can play a few years at the top level. Celtic should look to sign this soon to be a free agent on a short term deal to add depth and competitions for places in the side.
Simunovic, Ajer and Jack Hendry are all relatively young as none of them are even 25. Therefore Celtic should add someone like Jagielka who can add experience to that backline. The centre back has represented England 40 times in his career and has over 380 appearances in the Premier League.
It’s true that he might not be able to play week in week out, but he can be a handy squad player. If he remains fit, we can even see him as a regular starter over other options. With so many competitions to play in, Celtic would need an experienced head like him. Moreover, Jagielka can be a great influence on the young defenders as he is known to be a leader as well.
All in all, on a free transfer, the 36-year-old can be a shrewd signing, and he can solve Celtic’s defensive problem on a short term basis.
