According to a recent report by Sky Sports, reigning Premiership champions Celtic are said to have placed keen eyes on the services of Leeds United’s Scottish international full-back Barry Douglas. The report suggests that the Whites man is being targeted as a potential replacement for their current second-choice left-back Boli Bolingoli, who had been found guilty of having broken quarantine rules to make an illicit trip to a high-risk country such as Spain.
Neil Lennon and the staff are said to be fuming about the player’s actions, and this means that his Celtic career is undoubtedly going to be at risk in the coming days.
Although the speedster remains a member of the books, for the time being, it has been clarified in the report that Celtic are keen on replacing Boli Bolingoli with Barry Douglas. Ligue 2 side Amiens are said to have already placed a bid for the full-back, with an initial year-long loan deal and an option-to-buy at the end of the season already in place. The Bhoys are reportedly already on the hunt for potential replacements to acquire before the transfer window closes, and Leeds man Barry Douglas is said to be sat high up that list.
What Is Celtic’s Current Situation In The Left-Back Role?
Neil Lennon’s side currently possess just two options to choose from in the left-back role, first-choice Greg Taylor, or the aforementioned Boli Bolingoli. Although the former’s place in the side hasn’t really come under scrutiny at too many points over the last couple of seasons, Bolingoli’s actions this past week have raised a variety of questions from all over the Scottish game.
The Belgian was actually given some minutes by Neil Lennon in their last league game against Kilmarnock, but it now looks like they were his last ones even in a Celtic shirt.
What Makes Barry Douglas An Attractive Option For Celtic?
The veteran Scottish full-back has been around the highest level of football for a long time now, and his services will definitely be of utmost use to Celtic next season. Even though Douglas is set to turn 31 next month, there’s no denying that he could pump a large amount of quality as well as experience into this side upon arrival. Having spent the last couple of seasons at Leeds United, the Scot’s playing time has decreased considerably, with the defender making just 15 appearances in total last season.
A majority of those involvements actually came off the bench, which means that the speedster hasn’t had a regular place in the side for a while now. With the Whites now headed up to the Premier League as well, it’s safe to say that his time on the pitch is likely to be limited even further. A left-back by position, Douglas has shown in the past that he’s just as good at going forward, as he is at tracking back providing defensive cover. Despite being on the wrong side of his thirties already, there’s no denying that Douglas still has a lot to offer in terms of football know-how.
Celtic Are Keen On Replacing Boli Bolingoli With Barry Douglas: Should Lennon Go For It?
The 30-year-old spent a majority of his early years as a footballer in Scotland, and a return to his home country has perhaps been on the cards for a while now as well. From a Celtic perspective, the gaffer’s decision to offload the Belgian is completely understandable, as his actions could’ve put the entire Scottish top-flight in a very fragile situation, as it seemingly has. There’s no refuting the fact that signing Douglas as a replacement for Bolingoli would be a smart piece of business by the Celts, but one thing that’s for sure is that the former Rapid Vienna man doesn’t deserve a second chance in this Celtic team.
