According to the latest reports from the Sun, Celtic are eyeing a move for Sheffield United’s fullback George Baldock. The Englishman has been linked with Celtic in the past few weeks, but Celtic have now turned their attention towards him only after missing out on Jack Stacey who went on to join Bournemouth instead.
The Hoops face competition for the £1.5m rated fullback from Stoke City. Reports had earlier claimed that Sheffield might look to part ways with Baldock in a bid to rebuild the squad for the Premier League. The right-back played 27 games in the Championship last season and helped his side with one goal and three assists as the Blades finished second and moved to the Premier League.
Why does Lennon need to think about bringing a right back?
With Champions League qualifiers set to begin, the Bhoys have Anthony Ralston as the only right back option at the club. The 20-year-old is vastly inexperienced as he has made just eight appearances in the Premiership so far.
The club parted ways with three right back this summer as the likes of Mikael Lustig, Jeremy Toljan and Cristian Gamboa’s contract had expired. Therefore it is imperative for Lennon to sign a new right back soon.
Will Baldock be a good signing?
The Englishman is known for his attacking endeavour, and he can even play as a right midfielder when required. Baldock is full of energy as he consistently provides the team with overlapping runs from the flanks. The defender has decent pace and acceleration, and he also has that physical side to his game, which is often necessary to thrive in the Premiership.
However, there are defensive vulnerabilities to the fullback’s game, which might be a cause of worry for Lennon. The club might get away with it in the Premiership given the way Celtic dominate their game and spend most of the time in the attacking half of the pitch. But against tough opponents and especially in Europe, the fullback can be caught out defensively.
The situation at Celtic is dire at the moment concerning the right back options at the club. It depends on what Lennon wants from his fullback. Ideally, he would want an option who would be reliable on both ends of the pitch. With Baldock, he might be sacrificing a bit of defensive stability. We think that Celtic can look for better options. Baldock won’t be a bad signing, but he only seems to be good enough to be a backup option at Parkhead.
