According to the reports from Belfast Live, Celtic are said to be monitoring the situation of Motherwell’s midfielder Liam Donnelly and are eying a shock move before the close of the January window. The versatile midfielder has been in good form for the Well this season as he has grabbed ten goals and two assists in all competitions so far.
Donnelly is also a Northern Ireland international and he has established himself as a crucial player for Motherwell in his second season with them. The midfielder had spent four years with Fulham in his youth days. He moved to Hartlepool United in 2016 who are a fifth-tier English outfit. Donnely impressed there for two years, and that earned him a move to the Scottish top flight and now Scottish giants Celtic seem to be interested in him.
Does Celtic need a midfielder?
It would be surprising to see Celtic bring in another midfielder in this window. The club does have decent depth in midfield and Lennon has a settled central midfield pairing of Scott Brown and Callum McGregor. Olivier Ntcham and Nir Bitton are the other options.
Brown has surprised with his endurance and fitness this campaign as many expected his game time to be managed this season, but the captain has featured consistently in almost every game so far. The club also completed the signing of Ismaila Soro who is a defensive midfielder by trade. Hence, the reports of Celtic being linked with another midfielder seems dubious especially as the report mentions that the club would make a January move.
Nevertheless, Donnelly has impressed with his versatility this season as he has played as a defensive midfielder, centre back, central midfield and in wide areas as well in midfield. His impressive form this season earned him a call up to the national team last year.
What should Lennon do?
The midfielder had signed a new contract in October with the Well, and that would keep him at the club until 2022. There is no need for Celtic to spend money on someone like Donnelly in the last week of the transfer window.
As mentioned Celtic don’t need to add another midfielder at their disposal. Even though Donnelly is versatile enough to play in various positions, Celtic have decent cover in the other areas as well. He has impressed with his work rate and ability to pop up with crucial goals, but this is still his first proper season at such a competitive level. Celtic should continue to monitor Donnelly further instead of making a move for him in this window.
