According to the latest reports from the Scottish Sun, Neil Lennon was present in the stands to watch Partizan Belgrade take on Connah’s Quay in the Europa League qualifiers. The report mentions that the boss was there to watch Partizan’s young defender, Strahinja Pavlovic. The 18-year-old centre back was recently linked with a move to Juventus, and the youngster is expected to have a big future ahead of him.
Pavlovic has his contract at the club until 2021, and he is said to be valued around £4.5m by Juventus. The defender made his senior debut just in February this year. The fact that he is valued at such a price shows his talent with a club like Juventus also interested.
The centre back is also versatile enough to play as a defensive midfielder given his impressive on the ball qualities. Pavlovic stands in at 6ft4, and he seems to have that physical presence to dominate his opponents. Therefore it is no surprise to see top clubs circling him.
Does Celtic need a defender?
The Hoops recently brought in Hatem Abd Elhamed who is being widely publicised as a right back. However, he seems more like a centre back who can fill in at right-back. The Israel international’s versatility should come in handy. The club also secured the signing of Christopher Jullien in this window, so the Bhoys have a decent amount of options for the centre back position.
Lennon has the likes of Kristoffer Ajer, Jozo Simunovic and Jack Hendry at his disposal. Therefore there is not much need for a centre back at the moment.
Should Celtic go after Pavlovic?
Pavlovic is seen as a huge upcoming talent. Even if there is no immediate need for a centre back, the club should consider moving in for him. It is always advisable to keep the young pool of players coming in. Moreover, Jack Hendry doesn’t seem like a plausible option for the future, and we think that the Bhoys should look to send him on loan.
Problems for Celtic
The 18-year-old is unlikely to come in cheap. Celtic also have a lot of other areas to look after in terms of adding reinforcements to the squad. We just don’t see them using the time and money to invest in a defender who is not really a necessity at the moment. However, if they can go through with the deal, then they should consider getting their hands on this upcoming talent.
