According to a recent report by the Daily Record, Premiership champions Celtic are said to be keen on retaining the services of Norwegian international Mohamed Elyounoussi. The report suggests that Celtic manager Neil Lennon is keen on keeping both Elyounoussi and Fraser Forster in Glasgow for the next campaign, as they look to orchestrate a tenth straight title victory. It has been clarified that Lennon would be open to either a loan deal or even a permanent transfer.
While Forster’s current tenure at Southampton is set to expire next summer, the Norwegian’s contract doesn’t run out until the end of the 2023 league campaign. Speaking on the matter, Lennon said, “We’re hopeful they’ll be around but that’s a conversation we’ll have to have with Southampton and with the players individually. We’d want to keep them if we could. It keeps that continuity going rather than maybe going out and bringing other players in.”
Lennon Wants Mohamed Elyounoussi Back At Celtic: What Does He Bring To The Table?
The 25-year-old arrived at Southampton in the summer of 2018 as a prospective starlet, but never really managed to kick on during his time at the St.Mary’s Stadium. Just one season into his career in the Premier League and the Norwegian was shipped out to Celtic on a season-long loan deal. With the tenure of the loan now complete, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Hoops making strides towards bringing him back to Celtic Park next season.
A left-winger by position, Elyounoussi has the talent and quality required to play on either flank but wasn’t able to showcase his full potential in the fast-paced nature of Premier League football. Although the Norwegian is a natural winger, he doesn’t boast the pace of most Premier League wide men, and instead is forced to depend on his footwork and general movement. With that said though, it’s worth conceding that the attacker is more than comfortable taking on the odd defender.
What he does lack in pace, the forward more than makes up for with his general awareness and ability to change the game with a single swing of the foot. While the Norwegian isn’t necessarily the tallest player in the world either, he certainly isn’t afraid to put his body on the line for the sake of the team. The 25-year-old played ten times in the Premiership this season, and was fairly impressive, albeit in glimpses. His 20 matches for the Hoops across all competitions yielded a decent return of seven goals and six assists.
Lennon Wants Mohamed Elyounoussi Back At Celtic: Should The Gaffer Go For It?
The Glaswegian outfit are aiming to achieve a tenth straight league title next season, and given the state of the competition, it would be wise on Lennon’s part to sign up any reinforcements he can get. Although they possess three recognised strikers who can all do a job on their day, the fact remains that the wide areas are still a significant cause for concern. With players like Maryan Shved yet to hit the heights that were expected of them, bringing in a relatively experienced player in Elyounoussi would undoubtedly make sense for Lennon’s side.
