According to the reports from Tuttomercatoweb as cited by Daily Record, Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham is attracting interest from the likes of AS Roma, Valencia and Sporting Lisbon. It is being said that interest in the French midfielder is mounting with the January transfer window approaching.
Ntcham had given an indication earlier in the summer that he would want to move to a bigger league and Neil Lennon was left unhappy with such comments as the midfielder is contracted to stay at Parkhead until 2022. However, the manager and player have moved on from that incident, and Ntcham has played some impressive cameos off the bench for the Bhoys.
Why Ntcham’s head could turn again in January?
The Frenchman’s last gasp strike against Lazio sealed Celtic’s spot in the next round of the Europa League, and the midfielder showed his quality with a calm and classy finish. However, it cannot be ignored that Ntcham isn’t getting regular starts in Glasgow and a move away could interest the French midfielder again, once the January transfer window opens.
Moreover, AS Roma, Valencia and Sporting Lisbon are all heavyweight clubs in their division who usually ply their trade in Europe as well. So we feel that Ntcham’s head could once turn when the winter transfer window begins.
The Bhoys currently use Scott Brown and Callum McGregor in the middle of the park, and the 22-year-old Frenchman has found it hard to break into the starting eleven. Ntcham has started five games in the Premiership so far this season, and he has widely been used as a substitute under Lennon.
Ntcham is a naturally gifted and an athletic midfielder. He can carry the ball well from deep areas, and he has the physical presence to outmuscle opponents in the middle. His linkup play and finishing in the final third are impressive, and he can either play as a box to box midfielder or even as an attacking midfielder.
What should Lennon do?
There is no doubt that Ntcham is a significant asset and Lennon must be rating him very highly. However, Scott Brown and McGregor are still going strong in the middle, and until one of the duo gets injured, the Frenchman is unlikely to nail down a spot in the first team.
Hence, it cannot be ignored that the midfielder might move away from the club in search of greener pasture. However, Lennon should look to keep him up until the summer of 2020 atleast as the Bhoys are competing on various fronts and Ntcham is a vital squad player at the moment.
