According to the latest reports from the Scottish Sun, Celtic and Rangers are set to go head to head to sign Azerbaijan’s defender Bahlul Mustafazada. The centre back currently plies his trade in his country’s home league for top tier outfit Gabala.
Mustafazada is set to be out of contract in a few days, and he is going to be available on a free transfer. The 22-year-old made 29 appearances for his side last season and won top reviews for his performance. He has been called for representing his national side, but he is yet to make his debut. However, that doesn’t seem far off after his impressive season for his club.
What did Mustafazada say about his links to Scottish clubs?
The defender recently talked about him being linked with a move to Rangers and Celtic. He said, ”My aim is to play abroad, and I have read about the interest from both Celtic and Rangers. There’s been nothing concrete yet though. “I would do anything to try and make this move happen. Celtic or Rangers? For me, there is no difference. Yes, it would be interesting to work with a coach like Steven Gerrard, but the main thing for me is my development.”
The defender is not making himself a favourite on either side of Glasgow by commenting that he doesn’t see any difference between Celtic and Rangers. However, he did go on to take Steven Gerrard’s name and indicated that he would like to work under him. That is what you will get when you bring in high profile managers as players from across the globe are aware of those personalities.
However, we have seen Celtic giving a lot of chances to youngsters to develop, and the player is unlikely to move only by seeing the managers.
Should Celtic sign him?
Mustafazada is going to be a bit of a punt as he is yet to be tested at a higher level. The 22-year-old has looked impressive, but there is a whole lot of difference between the league he has played in so far and the Scottish Premiership. The intensity, the demand from the fans, the physicality of the league and the boisterous crowd close to the players can take some time to adjust to, and it is tough to say whether Mustafazada would be able to adapt in a new country.
He hasn’t played outside of his homeland as of now. However, the centre back is available on a free transfer, so the risks are low.
It remains to be seen whether any of the Scottish giants go after him in the summer. We would advice Celtic to look for a more experienced defender as they need to replace Dedryck Boyata who was the mainstay for the Hoops at the back.
