According to the latest reports from Daily Record, Celtic are set to complete a deal for Motherwell’s midfielder David Turnbull soon. The Hoops met Motherwell’s asking price of £3m, and they are close to agreeing on the more delicate details of the deal as well.
Celtic had earlier put in a bid of £2m which was rejected, and it seems like they didn’t want to miss out on another midfield talent as they did with John McGinn last year. So they went all out in Turnbull’s case and met Motherwell’s demands.
Turnbull enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last season, and he announced himself on the Scottish football scene. Playing as a central midfielder, Turnbull managed 16 goals and contributed with seven assists as well. All this he achieved in his first senior season, and it is no surprise that Celtic have poached him away for such big money.
Many might feel that it’s too much money for a player who has had just one good season in the top flight, but the Celtic board and Neil Lennon looked convinced. Our assumption is they didn’t want to miss out on him as other clubs like Barnsley were also interested. This also shows that the Hoops are not going to mess around in this transfer window and they would go all out for targets they deem necessary.
Why Celtic needed a midfielder?
Celtic had just one midfielder who went on to score over ten goals last season, and that was Ryan Christie. The likes of Olivier Ntcham and Tom Rogic had a poor season, and they are even being linked with a move away from the club. Ewan Henderson and Nir Bitton are decent options, but Turnbull seems to be a dynamic midfielder who will contribute on all fronts in a game.
What will Turnbull bring to the table at Celtic Park?
The midfielder has got impressive pace and acceleration, and he can get out of tight spaces because of good close quarter controls. Often youngsters are naive or indecisive in the attacking third, but Turnbull doesn’t seem to have that problem as his goalscoring record shows that he has the composure of a striker in and around the penalty box.
The fact that he is just 19 is what probably made Celtic pay the big bucks for him. With more exposure and experience, he can be one of the best midfielders in the division and Celtic would be banking on that to happen.
