If a recent report from The Daily Mail is believed to be true, Celtic are showing strong interest ahead of a potential winter move for Josh Mulligan. Nottingham Forest are also in the mix for the Hibernian midfield ace. But the Edinburgh heavyweights are determined to keep hold of their prized asset until the closure of the current campaign.
The 23-year-old Scotsman progressed through the academy ranks of Dundee, his boyhood club, before breaking into their senior side in 2019. Spells with the lower league outfits Cove Rangers and Peterhead helped him flourish ahead of securing a key role in the Dark Blues midfield.
However, Mulligan chose to run his contract down and join Hibernian last summer, despite strong rumours of Rangers’ interest. Hibs paid a compensation package for the young Scot while tying him down at Easter Road on a four-year contract. They are in a strong position to negotiate a decent fee for the versatile midfielder, and therefore, would rather wait for the end of the season when his valuation ascends.
Celtic are battling it out with league leaders Hearts for the Premiership crown. Rangers have recovered under Danny Rohl, overcoming the early shambles, and Wilfried Nancy, the Hoops boss, can’t afford to lose more points, having suffered four successive defeats, including the League Cup final against St Mirren.
Why He Would Fit In Nancy’s System At Celtic
Although the Frenchman has registered back-to-back wins against Aberdeen and Livingston, he still lacks players who would fit in his preferred ‘3-4-2-1’ setup. They have a crisis at the back amid fitness woes for several first-team stars. Additionally, injuries to Alistair Johnston, Marcelo Saracchi, and the absence of Sebastian Tounekti for the ongoing AFCON have forced the manager to rely on Luke McCowan and Yang Hyun-Jun as makeshift wingbacks.
Mulligan has so far exhibited his mastery in various midfield roles. His ability to drive the game from the deep makes him an orchestrator, with David Gray showing similarities to what Nancy has brought in terms of formation and style of play. He has also been deployed as a right midfielder. Moreover, his physical presence, attacking expertise and defensive traits could see him slot in as a ‘number 10’ or a right wing-back in the Celtic squad.
The youngster received a call-up to the Scotland squad for their World Cup qualifiers. He was an unused substitute against Belarus a couple of months back, but the future looks bright for Mulligan, who must prepare for the next career move to fulfil his potential.
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