Despite their shambolic performance against FC Copenhagen, Celtic have maintained the monopoly in Scottish football and are closing in on their ‘nine-in-a-row’ mission irrespective of Rangers’ attempt to reclaim the lost pride under Steven Gerrard. Neil Lennon has been methodical all throughout with his strategy as well as gameplan. The Hoops, aiming for a fourth successive domestic treble, must be boosted by the return of an array of key individuals from their long-standing injury problems.
Daniel Arzani has been a forgotten name at Parkhead despite joining from Manchester City on a two-year loan deal a couple of summers ago. The highly-rated Aussie sensation had all the attributes to enjoy first-team minutes, particularly after becoming the youngest ever player to feature at the 2018 World Cup.
However, his future in Glasgow witnessed misfortune when a severe knee injury on debut ruled him out of action for months. The 21-year-old attacker attained only five minutes of senior experience ever since, that too in the Scottish FA Cup Fourth Round fixture this term against Partick Thistle (Stats via Transfermarket).
Although his loan spell is set to end by the end of the ongoing campaign, Lennon has hinted at the possibility of another stint as well as more gametime before the season concludes.
“Possibly. He’s played a couple of development games and is back training on a regular basis now. We’ve got another development game coming up so if he comes through that alright, maybe he’ll start to feature between now and the end of the season.”
Revealed the Northern Irishman while speaking to The Glasgow Evening Times.
Why Celtic Should Extend The Loan
While it is impossible to break into the star-studded Manchester City side, the youngster should prefer regular football over a sporadic role at City. He is now accustomed to the Scottish surroundings and therefore, should accept the proposal provided specific demands are met in terms of gametime.
Also, there’s still uncertainty over the future of Mohamed Elyounoussi as it is still unclear whether the Norwegian’s loan move (from Southampton) would be made permanent prior to the upcoming campaign. Socceroos assistant coach Rene Meulensteen has suggested Tom Rogic move elsewhere for assured minutes. Still, the decision of retaining Arzani would benefit the Bhoys even if they succeed in keeping hold of both Rogic and Elyounoussi.
The former Melbourne City prodigy is known for his versatility in the attacking third. His ability to operate from the flanks as well as in a ‘number 10’ role would add depth to the squad and inject resilience while chasing multiple silverware as they have been doing for years now.
