This summer in many ways could define the future for the club under Brendan Rodgers. He has successfully navigated what has been a tough season, with poor recruitment and injuries at times leaving him really short of quality and he has repeated the same comment when discussing recruitment a few times now. It’s quality not quantity that he is interested in, so with that in mind these are some players that I think bring a solid level of quality that should be within our financial reach.
If we don’t get recruitment right this summer with our new setup in place and seemingly working under some very clear instructions from Rodgers then the club will face yet more scrutiny about what’s going on behind the scenes, and we will yet again find ourselves relying on players who have been giving it everything for the majority of the last 3 years. The players are good enough but for the club to show our manager that we share his ambitions we have to push on by adding quality that allows us to make more of an impression in the big games we need to add a few bits of quality.
Personally I would be looking for us to move back to where we were when Ange arrived and allow our recruitment to be led by the players qualities first and foremost. Age and overall cost are obviously a factor but signing numerous players under the age of 24 to fit a model carries a lot of risk. There is absolutely no harm in picking up a few players who are mid to late twenties or even early 30s if you know they’ll help you achieve the clubs main goal which is winning trophies and getting into the Champions League and then getting a few younger guys in around them who bring their own qualities but can learn from the senior pros like McGregor, Forrest and Kyogo.
So let us do some good summer shopping to ensure that we compliment what we have and get us ready to step out and shine when the team re-appears in July. We’ll need shorts, t-shirts and sun tan lotion. Throw in a goalkeeper, a central defender, some competition for Taylor at left back and a midfielder who has a bit more to bring to the defensive structure and that will see us happily through part 3 and moving into part 4 where we will look at more creative and attacking options…..
Goalkeeper:
Kjell Scherpen – Brighton & Hove Albion
Big Scherps stands a just above average height for a giant at 6ft 7 and was signed by Brighton back in the summer of 2021 for around £5mil from Ajax. Since signing he’s been out on loan at a variety of clubs that have seen him in Belgium at KV Oostende, Netherlands at Twente and then this season he’s been in Austria with champions Sturm Graz.
Now he has missed part of the season having had to have surgery on a ligament issue and he’s had injuries previous to this so any deal would be subject to a very stringent medical but why I have his name up first is because in the games he has played he showed everything that I personally like in a goalkeeper. His size makes him a huge frame to beat and he uses his body really well in situations where you would find yourself thinking the person shooting is very much the favourite to score and I like the levels of consistency he has shown. It might be his size but I look at him and see many similar traits to Fraser Forster in that Scherpen saves 99% of what he should save and then he makes some saves that he has no right to make. His kicking and comfort with the ball at his feet is sound, he’s not Alisson or Ederson but he is good enough with the ball to allow him to be part of a team who wants to play out from the back.
This season at Sturm Graz also showed he is developing as a leader with signs of him being a real voice for his defensive setup and probably just as impressive was when him showing a real interest in Sturm Graz, it’s very easy for players who have been on loan to just walk in, do the job and then when an injury happens or the season ends they instantly switch off and forget but he has stayed in and by the looks of things clearly enjoyed the title celebrations as much as any Sturm player.
Why I think this move is viable despite Sturm wanting him back on loan for next season and him signing a new deal with Brighton is he and his partner have a young child and at 24 the constant loans and not being able to lay down some long-term roots could be a big factor. We could offer that stability, along with the opportunity to test himself in a tough environment, Champions League football and a spotlight that shines on any of our goalkeepers that allows him to raise his profile in a way that suits his long-term ambitions.
He also stood up well in the Europa league games Sturm faced, playing against some tough teams. Sporting Lisbon, Rakow and eventual winners Atalanta so he has some experience under his belt now of playing in Europe.
Alternatives:
Viteslav Jaros (Liverpool) – 22 year old that took over the gloves when he moved on loan to Sturm Graz after Scherpen got injured and put in some solid performances and he is another who has been doing the rounds on loan for the past few years. His kicking isn’t quite as good as Scherpens but he showed himself to be a solid goalkeeper and went on to get a league title medal.
Etienne Vaessen (RKC Waalwijk) – Free transfer option that has already been linked with us off the back of a very strong season in Eredivisie. At 28 he was arguably the best goalkeeper on show in the Eredivisie this year. Very aggressive goalkeeper and if you have seen the horror injury he got late last year in a collision with Brian Brobbey of Ajax you can see that he’s willing to put his body on the line. He actually recovered a lot quicker than most expected and added a Petr Cech style skull cap but continued his good form right through until the end of the season.
Helton Leite (Antalyaspor) – Another free transfer option. Experienced Brazilian who had previously been at Benfica before moving to Turkey. Helton has had a really strong season in Turkey and while he is the oldest of the bunch at 33 what he brings in terms of experience out matches those above. A goalkeeper who has some solid goalkeeping ability but is also very comfortable with the ball and you’ll regularly see him picking out a 40 yard pass into the wide players feet, regularly looking to find Sam Larsson on the left wing to create opportunities for quick counters.
Central Defender:
Ladislav Krejcl – Sparta Praha
This 6ft 2, 25 year old, left footed Czech central defender has something I think is vital in the game now and that is his ability to play 2 or 3 roles to a high standard. First and foremost he is a central defender who likes a duel whether it be on the ground or in the air and he commits to his challenges, he also has the ability to play over in the left back slot or to move up into deeper midfield roles because he’s comfortable with the ball and covers ground well.
The only minor criticism of him is sometimes that commitment he puts in can pick him up the odd card or two, but much like David Hancko who far too many teams were slow to pick up on until Feyenoord took him, Krejcl has more than enough in his game to play in leagues above the standard of 1.Liga in the Czech Republic and still has plenty of scope to improve just like Hancko.
The other factor in his game is he’s not just a strong defensive player, in the attacking third especially from corners and free kicks in wide areas he adds a threat and he’s a more than capable penalty kick taker. His 8 goals, 6 assists and 6 high value chances created in the league this season are not to be sniffed at.
The key thing I like about Ladislav when I try to place him into the Celtic team is he is happy to progress with the ball, he isn’t just a defender who will pass it off to one of his fellow defenders. He is willing to receive the ball and move up and beyond the halfway line and make decisive passes into the midfielders or into the final third which stems from his ability to play in midfield. Sparta are regularly looking for the player to come in off the wing to make a run that takes him in behind the fullback and into the gap between the central defender and the fullback which allows Krejcl to weight a pass into those areas, turning the defensive setup round and getting the ball into areas where the likes of Haraslin, Kutcha and Birmancevic can move onto and create or gets shots off. His ability to play in a few roles to a high standard is something we lack in the team. Adding him, or a player like him would allow Rodgers much more flexibility to make tactical changes without having to make wholesale changes in the team to make something work.
One of his most recent performances in a 5-0 win vs Mlada Boleslav showed almost everything there is to like in how he wants to defend and then develop the play. His ability to step out of the back 3 and into midfield, or to sit in midfield as Sparta move into a back 4 and setup in a 4231. He had 2 assists, the first where he takes advantage of the Mlada team letting him bring the ball forward and he doesn’t hesitate in lifting his head to pick out Kutcha with a cross from around 30 yards out, swinging it to the back post. He then whips in another cross from a similar area shortly after to find the head of Preciado who hits the bar. The real shine on his attacking performance is the assist that sets up Kutcha to make it 4-0. He’s made a late run from deep into the box and has to improvise with a fabulous touch to take a ball from Sorenson, that gets him past the defender and in on goal where he shows good awareness to see the on rushing GK, passes it to the side for Kutcha to control and tap home.
EDIT: As I finish this up I’ve been told that Krejcl is on the verge of a move to Girona for around 9 million pounds so if I get time I may edit this and move Ogbu up and add another alternative.
Alternatives:
Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Praha) – 24 year old central defender who has been one of the best out and out defenders I’ve seen this season. Not as cultured as Krejcl but as a pure defender this Nigerian will go and attack the ball as well as anyone. Slavia got themselves a real bargain picking him up last summer from Lillestrom for around 2 million. His performance at home vs Roma in the Europa League when up against Belotti and Lukaku was excellent.
Mark McKenzie (Gent) – One of Cameron Carter-Vickers USA teammates has been over at Genk in Belgium now since 2021 having been linked with us around that time. The 25 year old American arguably isn’t as dominant in the air as the others mentioned but he has good strength, a decent turn of pace and is a very good passer of the ball. Regularly picking out passes that will break lines and move the ball from defence into the final third with a crisply hit ball into the feet of his teammates.
I have heard one or two rumours about Tomas Vlcek at Slavia Praha. I appreciate he is a talented young defender, but he is very much a player who wants to play on the right side of a back 3. He needs that security that comes in a 3 so he can go and do what he does best and that’s be the first defender to engage early and look to break up play or to go and cover in behind David Doudera on the right side. He’s not a player I personally see as fitting into a back 4, unless it’s to be used as a more defensively minded right back. There is not much evidence in his play over the last year to suggest he’d be the sort of up and down right back that we have become accustomed to over the years.
Left Back:
Bartlomiej Wdowik – Jagiellonia Białystok
Wdowik has been a lot of peoples radar from the end of last season after starting to put together some good performances, and then this season he has taken it up a level in almost every area of his game.
First and foremost he has proven himself to be a solid left back, who fulfils his defensive duties well and in many ways is bit like Greg Taylor, even when he is made out matched in a 1vs1 he always competes. Aerially he is a little taller, standing at around 6ft and again he does well in those duels, but for people looking for fullbacks to have the ability of a big central defender aerially they are few and far between so on the basis of what you can expect for the type of money Celtic will pay. Wdowik is at a good level and he has plenty of room to improve as he’s only 23.
His main asset is what he does going forward and the best description I can give you to paint a picture is a left back version of Alan Thompson. Wdowik isn’t going to attempt to beat many players 1vs1 to create chances for a cross but what he does so well is link well with those around him for a quick one-two, moving down the line or inside of his man to be available for the return pass and when he gets to pretty much anywhere withing 35 yards of the goal his final ball has quality on it. Pace and strength wise he’s decent, not lightning quick but he holds his own and his defensive positioning has come on a lot and I would like to think it will only continue to improve if he moves up a level. He also has something we have missed for a while and that is a real threat from a dead ball. His left foot has popped in 5 free kicks this season making up over half of his 9 goals and he’s added 6 assists with another 5 high value chances created for Jagiellonia.
I don’t personally see replacing Greg Taylor as a priority but I understand why some do, but for me this sort of move is one that adds more dimensions to the team and provides great competition which I would hope brings out even more from both players. While many are quick to criticise Taylor, they don’t acknowledge how much he has carried that left back role for us and how much he has improved over the past few years. His transformation over the last 2 years has been really impressive and he deserves far more credit than he gets in my opinion.
Alternatives:
Gijs Smal (Twente) – Anyone who knows me from the Huddleboard knows I’ve had this name on record for years now. My only mild concern is for the first time at the start of last season Smal got an injury that kept him out for a few months and I don’t know where that’s left him as this season has seen a small drop off in form, but that’s not uncommon for players who have missed pre-season. He is now out of contract so is certainly worth consideration for anyone who wants to use their budget for other players.
Smal over the years in Eredivisie has been a picture of consistency in terms of quality, defends well and has been a really aggressive runner with the ball with a good mix of technical skills when he is looking to attack from left back. Happy driving the line and crossing from deep or from closer to the byeline, while just as happy to drive inside and look for link up options so he can drive into gaps between the lines. All in all a real good all-rounder that for a few years now has left me scratching my head because I have no idea why he’s never been picked up. I’d have 2 flags to look at. First his recent injury and second is there something off the pitch that teams have maybe identified as an issue because on the pitch for a few years now has been more than good enough to attract attention from teams who are a level up from Twente.
Harrison Burrows (Peterborough United) – For my money this lad was easily the standout defender in League One this season in an attacking sense. Very confident young man who has a highlight reel of good deliveries and attacking play that would entertain anyone who loves a full throttle attacking fullback, however defensively he can be exposed….
In part it’s the way Peterborough play as they really encourage him to get forward, but if he wants to progress then he needs to improve in some key areas. Learning to hold stronger body positions in direct duels both on the ground and aerially as well as being more pro-active in defensive situations. I’ve seen many goals Peterborough have lost where he’s maybe not been at fault, but when you look at his positioning and what’s around him he allows a lot of opportunities for attackers to take up good positions where they are able to move off his shoulder or where he is guilty of something that many defenders do that drives me insane and that’s dropping back or closer to the line with his team mates and totally ignoring that he’s leaving players with 6 or 7 yards of space. Those things need work and if there wasn’t a plan to improve that side of his game then that would be a real concern. If he can improve that element of his game then he would become a very good player.
To take it back and finish on a positive it’s hard to argue with his attacking numbers with 14 assists and 6 goals in League One this season showing why he’s gathering attention.
Central Midfielder:
Peer Koopmeiners – AZ Alkmaar (on loan to Almere)
The 24 year old younger brother of Teun (Atalanta midfielder) has had what I can only describe as an absolute breakout season where he has finally shown what a lot of people have been expecting for a few years.
His loan to Almere in the Eredivisie has shown he is every inch the all-action midfielder who can give you a bit of steel and aggression in the middle of the pitch and then when he gets into the final third you then get a nice touch of creativity with a lovely passing ability to open up chances that good attackers should feast upon with 9 assists on the board this season. The only thing he hasn’t done this season in the Eredivisie is score a goal
Peer comfortably topped the charts for tackles made in the Eredivisie with 115 which was 20 more than Oukli in second place and he also registered over 41 interceptions and just short of 300 accurate passes into the final third.
He had 2 standout games in amongst the footage that I have seen. First off in a 4-1 loss to his parent club AZ where despite the loss and it being against his own team he never stopped and played in a manner that wanted to show his club what he could do. The second game was in a 1-1 draw with Utrecht where for me he gave everything to try and get the win for Almere in that game, looking to win the ball at every opportunity and his passing and crossing was deserving of so much more on the day.
Like many I can understand the want for a more defensive minded central midfielder, especially with Europe in mind but for another 40+ games of the season we play without much need for an out and out holding player. Koopmeiners for me gives a nice balance, a player who will give a big output with defensive work when needed but who can also add something when the team is controlling the game would allow for a more rounded setup that helps us domestically and in Europe.
Alternatives:
Hector Kyprianou (Peterborough United) – Back down to Peterborough again and this player only really came to light because I was watching bits of Harrison Burrows. The 23 year old Cypriot international is a player who for me like Burrows would benefit in playing for a team who has a bit more structure. He has good physical and technical skills and reads the game pretty well. Not overly creative and is more of a deep lying player who will look to get the ball to the more creative players like Poku or Burrows but he has chimed in with 8 goals this season, all of which are from inside the box so he has the ability to offer more than just tackling and A to B passing.
Julien De Sart (KAA Gent) – A player who has been in the UK before with Middlesbrough but it didn’t work out all that well and he returned to Belgium where for the past few seasons he has been outstanding both In the Belgian Pro League, and this season in the Europa Conference League. Very much a commander for Gent and brings good power on the ground and in the air. The best thing about him over the last few seasons in Belgium is his level of consistency. He has been a player Gent have been able to rely on week in week out. At 29 he doesn’t fit the “model”, but as I’ve mentioned above I think adding one or two guys who do have a good chunk of pro experience and have experienced the highs and lows is a positive thing.
Final Comments:
One thing that is regularly thrown out there when people talk about players is media values but the reality is a price for one team can be totally different for another. It really just comes down to who has a registered interest in a player. If an EPL team goes in then any player can quickly become unaffordable because of the premium teams add knowing full well that most EPL teams have significantly more money than the rest.
I’ve mentioned David Hancko when discussing Krejcl above and at the time Hancko moved he was heavily linked with West Ham with a fee of around 15 millions being touted. West Ham didn’t follow through and Feyenoord picked him up for around 6 million pounds and you see the same story play out fairly often. So while the BBC gossip pages that are created from various stories in the media rags that pollute the UK will tell you one thing the chances of it being true are very slim. Agents love to place a story with journalists to try and draw out interest, clubs do the same and so it’s murky waters for those on the outside looking in.
The players above are just a few examples of players I’ve seen and liked. There are so many more out there who are having good seasons or who have real potential. This summer also see’s one of the best windows for players out of contract that I’ve seen for a while so there are options for clubs this summer and with FFP hitting many bigger clubs hard there are even opportunities to get in the hunt for players that may have been previously out of reach because big clubs were happy to buy and stockpile players, then loan them out.
Thanks for reading.
RH