According to the reports from Daily Record, Celtic have agreed on a £2m fee for 21-year-old Ismaila Soro with his Israeli club Bnei Yehuda. Belgian champions Genk were also after Soro, but Celtic’s close links with agent Dudu Dahan has helped them in securing the African ace’s signature. Dahan has previously helped Celtic sign Beram Kayal, Efe Ambrose, Nir Bitton and Hatem Abd Elhamed.
Soro had joined the Israeli club last season, and he was seen as an option for the future. However, he soon managed to impress and break into the first team for Bnei Yehuda. The defensive midfielder is being highly rated, and many are seeing the £2m fee which Celtic are paying now as a bargain.
Does Celtic need defensive midfielder?
The Bhoys are well stacked with options in midfield. Scott Brown is still going strong even though he is already 34. Many expected him to be managed this season in terms of game time, but Brown has continued playing almost all the game for Celtic.
Nir Bitton and Olivier Ntcham are other options who can play in the defensive midfield role for the Hoops. However, it cannot be ignored that both Bitton and Brown aren’t going to be around for long and the club should be on the lookout for a long term replacement for Brown.
Lennon would hope that Soro will not turn out to be someone like Eboue Kouassi who was similarly highly rated when he was signed, but now he is nowhere in the picture to feature for Celtic.
What can Soro offer?
The Ivory Coast midfielder is known for his ability to breakdown play. His tackling skills stand out, and Soro plays with a lot of energy in the middle. The 21-year-old ace also showcases decent capabilities on the ball as he has quick feet and gets out of tight spaces with his close quarter control.
The midfielder can carry the ball forward well, and he seems to have all the raw ingredients necessary to thrive at this level. Soro is a dynamic midfielder who will make a difference with his energy and tenacity.
All he needs is a bit of time and experience to settle in at the club. With Brown still going strong, Soro can be an understudy to him for the next odd year and then he can be a regular member of the first team once the captain decides to call it a day.
