According to the latest reports from the Daily Record, Celtic have agreed on a fee for Toulouse defender Christopher Jullien. The report mentions that Neil Lennon was in France this week to try and get the deal over the line. An agreement is said to be done between the two parties and Jullien and Celtic now need to sort out the personal agreement.
This should come as a massive boost for the Hoops as some reports had mentioned earlier that Jullien would prefer to play in either France or Spain. Clubs from Germany and England were also said to be interested. Therefore this is definitely a big win for the club in the transfer market.
Why it is vital for Celtic to get someone like Jullien?
However, the deal is not done yet, and the Celtic fans should probably wait for a little before they start celebrating this signing. The Hoops were desperate for a dominant defender to come in after the departure of Dedryck Boyata to Hertha Berlin.
The Belgian was the mainstay at the back for the Hoops even though he received a lot of flak from the Celtic fans last season for his attitude. Nevertheless, at his best, Boyata was the best defender in the Premiership and Celtic needed someone as dominant to replace the Belgian international.
A statement of intent from Celtic
It is yet not clear how much Celtic offered for the French defender, but it isn’t likely to be cheap as some reports had mentioned that the defender is being valued at £10m. With Boyata departing for free, Celtic are showing real intent in the transfer market if they manage to secure the signing of Jullien.
What will Jullien bring to Parkhead?
At 6ft4, the French defender is a force to reckon with in the air. Defensively too, Jullien’s game is sound as he reads the dangers well. Scottish Premiership is known for its high intensity and physical style of play, and the 26-year-old should be able to cope up with those challenges.
However, what makes him a standout option is his ability to play out from the back. The defender is calm and composed on the ball, and that has to do with the fact that he came up from France’s golden generation as he was part of the u-20 World Cup winning team in 2013. He played with the likes of Paul Pogba, Lucas Digne and Geoffrey Kondogbia. Jullien is currently at the peak of his power, and he is a top signing for the club. Hopefully, from Celtic’s point of view, they can seal the deal quickly, and there is no drama like the Turnbull saga.
