According to the latest reports from France as cited by the Daily Record, Celtic’s deal for Nice’s left back Romain Perraud could be back on. Initially, it was believed that Celtic could have a hard time matching his wages, but the deal is not entirely out of the water just yet.
Lennon was reportedly spotted in France to see Perraud in action when he was playing for Paris FC. The fullback spent the last season on loan with the Ligue 2 outfit where he made 32 appearances in all competitions and contributed with five goals and one assist.
Why might Celtic want to sign a left back?
Celtic’s prime left-back Kieran Tierney is being linked with a move to Arsenal, and it would be interesting to see whether Lennon will be able to keep hold of him in this window. The club is already set to lose the services of Emilio Izaguirre who acted as a backup to Tierney as the Honduras international’s contract is expiring. There are no talks of getting the 33-year-old on a new deal. Therefore even if Tierney goes on to stay at Parkhead, Lennon might still want to bring in one left back in the summer.
Celtic already made inroads in the French transfer market as they have completed the signing of Christopher Jullien from Toulouse.
Will Perraud be a good signing?
If Lennon is seeing him as a backup to Tierney, then the Frenchman suits the bill. However, we don’t think he is going to be good enough to replace Tierney if the club decides to cash in on their Scottish star. Hopefully, the club is seeing Perraud only as a second choice option for the next season.
What can he bring at Parkhead?
The 21-year-old is a typical modern-day attack-minded full-back. He can even play further up the pitch as a left midfielder when required. Perraud’s crossing and pace are his standout attributes, and he can do a decent job as a left back. Given the fact that he is still young, there is still room for improvement to his game.
The Frenchman might have to improve his on the ball strength as he is slightly on the lighter side and given the physical demands of the Scottish Premiership, he might find it hard to adjust to the new league. Nevertheless, the former France u-20 international has enough raw talent, and he can be a handy signing if the Hoops go through with the deal. The latest reports should be a piece of good news for the club as Celtic are still in the race for him.
