Celtic are in desperate need of signing a right-back or two in this summer transfer window. As things stand, Mikael Lustig is going to be out of contract in a few days, and we don’t expect Celtic to go after Jeremy Toljan after his unsuccessful loan spell at Parkhead. Along with them, Cristian Gamboa, who used to remain on the fringes of the squad, is also set to leave the club. Therefore as many as three right backs are set to exit from Celtic.
So it is imperative for the Hoops to look at new targets. They have been linked with quite a few players in the past year, but they haven’t been able to secure a deal for anybody as of now. A few days back, reports from Daily Record had emerged that Celtic are linked with a move for Arsenal’s soon to be out of contract right back Carl Jenkinson.
Not quite a free agent….. Yet!
The defender hasn’t been offered a new contract yet so it might seem like he will leave the club as a free agent. However, Arsenal released a list of seven players not too long ago regarding who would depart the club in the summer and Jenkinson’s name wasn’t included there.
So maybe Arsenal are still working on him to get him a new contract, but quite a few people around the club would agree that Jenkinson doesn’t have much of a future at the Emirates. The right-back made just three appearances in the Premier League last term, and it has been a massive fall from grace for this once potentially top right back. The 27-year-old even made his national team debut for England in 2012, but the defender has struggled to establish himself at Arsenal since then.
We are not yet sure whether Celtic have shown a proper interest in him so far. But with so many departures in the right back spot, they can definitely consider bringing in Jenkinson who should be looking to kickstart his career after failing to find his feet in the Premier League.
Worth taking a punt over?
He has been in the wilderness for some time, but on a free transfer, he is worth taking a punt. Arsenal might not have named him just yet on the release list, but we don’t see them offering Jenkinson a new contract.
The Englishman is known to have an impressive work rate, and he can hold his own in defence. His attacking attributes have looked below par in the Premier League, but he can put in some good crosses down the right. Jenkinson still has some good amount of years left in him as he is only 27. The Hoops can bring him as one of the options for the right-back spot.
