According to the latest reports from the Daily Record, Kilmarnock’s Greg Taylor has emerged as a possible target for Celtic. Rangers are also said to be in the race along with Championship outfit Hull City. The Tigers are said to be very keen on the Scottish left-back, and they are valuing him at £400,000.
However, Kilmarnock knows that Taylor’s stock is on an upward curve after his impressive season in the Premiership and they might want to hold on to him. The fullback recently made his debut for the Scotland national team as well. The report mentions that for Celtic to land him, they might have to ship away their left back Kieran Tierney to bring in Taylor.
There is no doubt that Celtic would like to keep hold of Tierney for the next season. However, the backup spot has been vacated as Emilio Izaguirre is likely to depart from the club as his contract at Parkhead is set to expire in the next few days. We don’t see the Hoops offering him a new deal, so a left back spot is there for the taking at Celtic.
However, given the way Taylor performed for Kilmarnock last season, he would want to continue playing first-team football. The defender made 41 appearances in all competitions for the Killie last season, and he emerged as a crucial player for them in the back four.
There is no way that Taylor is going to replace Tierney from the first team so the 21-year-old might be sceptical about moving to Glasgow. However, things can change quickly if Tierney is sold in the transfer window as numerous reports have claimed that Arsenal have made the Scottish star their priority for the summer.
What should be Lennon’s play?
In that case, Celtic should keep on monitoring Taylor’s situation as a contingency plan. If a bid for Tierney comes in the £30-35m region from the Gunners (or any other team), then we feel that the Hoops might cash in on him. In that case, someone like Taylor can come in as Tierney’s replacement.
The young fullback showcases impressive pace and strength, and that is the reason why he is even attracting interest from England. Taylor can also fill in as a defensive midfielder when required as he has the ability to carry the ball out from the back. Celtic don’t really need to go all out to sign this upcoming fullback, but they should monitor his situation if things with Tierney change in the next weeks in the transfer window.
