There are not many backers of Mikael Lustig after his performances this season. We won’t be wrong in our assertion that the Swedish fullback has been one of the weak links at the back for the past year or so. However, he is still captaining the side (in the absence of Scott Brown) and recently gave an interview where he confidently claimed that he is going to stay at Park Head beyond this season as well. The right-back has entered the final year of his contract, but there have been no reports yet whether the player would stay at Glasgow.
However, if the club wants to improve further and challenge in a better way in the European competition, they should look to move on and sign a new right back. Lustig has been behind some glaring mistakes especially in the Europa League, and one wouldn’t be wrong in saying that the Hoops are severely handicapped in Europe because of him.
We believe the soon to be 32-year-old can be replaced by a player who has worked with Rodgers before during his time with Liverpool. Martin Kelly of Crystal Palace can be a very attainable option for the Hoops, and the club should consider him for a January or a summer move.
The 28-year-old is in the final year of his deal at Selhurst Park and has failed to get regular game time after the emergence of impressive right-back Aaron Wan Bissaka. Kelly has made just two appearances in the Premier League this season but can be a real handful in the Scottish Premiership.
The right-back came up through the Liverpool academy and was touted heavily when he broke into the first team. The player though was never able to make the cut and was later shipped on to Palace in 2014. The fullback was a regular to begin with and has over 100 appearances for the Eagles, but now it seems clear that he has fallen down the pecking order. The Englishman also has a senior appearance for the Three Lions.
We believe the player was hard done by the changing dynamics of the modern football as Kelly is more of a defensive minded right back and as a result, he can play in the centre back role as well. But such is today’s demands that managers would rather have an attack-minded and defensively vulnerable fullback over a fullback who cannot provide much while going forward.
Kelly can be a good fit at Celtic, and his ability to play anywhere across the backline should come in handy. Given his current situation at Palace, the former Liverpool right-back shouldn’t cost much, and he can turn out to be a shrewd signing for the Bhoys.
