According to the latest reports from the Scottish Sun, French outfit LOSC Lille have made contact with Celtic over the possible transfer of Jozo Simunovic. It is being said that Lille are set to launch a £5m bid for the Croatian centre half. The report also suggests that Neil Lennon is keen to keep hold of the defender after his impressive performances last season.
Concern for Celtic
What will be concerning for Celtic here is that Lille can be termed as a proper heavyweight side after they finished second in the Ligue 1 last season. They are set to play in the main draw of the Champions League, and the French team are a club on the rise.
Why can Celtic not let him go this summer?
Simunovic joined Celtic for £4m in 2015 from Dinamo Zagreb. Initially, the defender struggled to get going, but he has proven his worth in the past year. There is no doubt to us that he will be an integral member of the Celtic lineup especially after the likes of Dedryck Boyata and Filip Benkovic departed from the club in the summer.
There is still room for improvement to Simunovic’s game, and we expect him to get better from here onwards. Celtic surely wouldn’t want to add more pressure on themselves in the transfer market to replace Simunovic if they go on to sell him in this window.
The club is already looking to make some crucial signings in various positions and the departure of Simunovic at this time of the season will surely hamper Celtic’s plan. However, one cannot ignore that Lille can lure the Croatian defender this summer.
What should Lennon do?
There is no doubt to us that Celtic will be rating Simunovic at more than £5m given today’s market. The defender is still just 24 and has two years left on his contract. Moreover, he is currently seen as a first-team option. Therefore until and unless Lille comes up with a figure closer to £10m, we don’t think Celtic should be in any need of cashing in on the player. They stand a chance of making a profit on him. However, bringing in another new defender and expecting top performances from him straightaway would be too much to ask for, to be honest.
Lennon should reject the initial offer without giving much thought. Celtic’s interest will only likely be piqued if Lille comes up with an offer of somewhere around £9-10m.
