According to the latest reports from the Scottish Sun, Celtic are closing in on the signing of Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo. Celtic’s new manager Neil Lennon has himself given the update that they are likely to wrap up the deal for the left back in the next few days.
Why might Celtic be in a hurry to wrap up this deal?
The Hoops will be in action soon for the Champions League qualifiers. They have already lost the services of Emilio Izaguirre whose contract expired. Kieran Tierney is still some time away from playing regular football as Lennon sent him back to Scotland to continue with his rehabilitation. Moreover, his future is also up in the air as Arsenal and Napoli are circling him in the transfer market. Therefore it is no surprise to see the club going after left-back.
Update from Lennon
After his side’s friendly with St Gallen, Lennon said, ”We are not too far away (From signing Mbombo), and he will be another good addition to the squad. He gives us competition at left back; he’s strong, athletic and good on the ball.”
With Celtic set to play in the Champions League next week, we expect this deal to go through by the end of this week. This will be another big win for the Bhoys in the transfer market as Premier League club Burnley and Serie A heavyweights Napoli were also interested in the Belgian.
Apart from that, Sampdoria also were in the mix, so Celtic getting the better of three top-flight clubs is a massive win for the club.
What will Mbombo bring to the table?
Like all modern-day fullbacks, Mbombo is known for his attacking endeavours. The 23-year-old has terrific pace, and he can outrun and trouble quite a few defenders with his overlapping runs. The defender made 42 appearances for Rapid Wien last season and contributed with two goals and five assists.
The Belgian full back is also known for his hardworking nature and impressive work rate. Mbombo is tenacious in his approach, and that is something that would delight the fans. He might have to work on the defensive side of his game though. However, given the way Celtic dominate most of their games, Mbombo would usually be spending most of his time in the attacking half of the pitch.
It remains to be seen now whether the fullback would be a backup to Tierney at Celtic or will he become the first choice if Tierney goes on to join Arsenal or Napoli.
