Celtic were recently linked with a move for 21-year-old midfielder Ismaila Soro. The midfielder plies his trade in the Israeli league for Bnei Yehuda. Now his club manager has warned (The Scottish Sun) that Soro would only be sold at the right price and prospective suitors wouldn’t be able to sign him cheaply.
Soro’s manager responds to transfer rumours
Bnei Yehuda’s manager Yossi Abukasis recently talked about the rumours linking Soro with a move away and said, ”We will only sell Soro if we get an offer which matches our valuation. We know what he is worth. We know there is a growing interest in him and a lot of European clubs have watched him, even just this week.”
Soro still has 18 months on his contract, and the Ivory Coast player is a defensive-minded midfielder. He is being valued at £3m. The 21-year-old has played his football before in Moldova and Belarus, and now he is attracting interest from some of the top footballing nations.
Celtic had picked up Hatem Abd Elhamed in the summer from the Israeli league. The defender was an unknown quantity for many of us, but Elhamed has done relatively well for the Hoops, featuring as a right-back as well as a centre back. Hence, it shows that Celtic have a knack of picking up players from obscure places and their scouting network is seemingly strong.
Does Celtic need a midfielder?
Signing a midfielder isn’t an immediate necessity for Lennon. The Hoops have a terrific midfield partnership of Scott Brown and Callum McGregor. Brown is still going strong at the age of 34, and he might have one or two more years to give at Parkhead. Apart from that, Celtic also have Olivier Ntcham. Nir Bitton is another option who can step in to play as a defensive midfielder.
However, Celtic should keep an eye on a long term replacement for Brown as he is not going to be around forever. Hence, it makes sense for the Bhoys to look for a defensive-minded midfielder in the future.
What is Soro known for?
The Ivory Coast midfielder is primarily known for being a midfield disruptor. He can breakdown plays and makes tackles and interceptions. He also showcases reasonable ball control in tight spaces which allows him to go past the opposition. Soro is highly rated at the moment, but Celtic should be wary that his signing doesn’t turn out to be another Eboue Kouassi situation.
