Celtic badly need a defender before the end of the transfer window – could the Chelsea man be the right choice?
Celtic are at a cross-roads when it comes to the left-back position.
The departure of Kieran Tierney means they are looking for a player who can come into the club and be a prime pick on the left flank for the next few years.
Having already strengthened with the acquisition of Boli Bolingoli, more action is needed. The former Rapid Vienna man has had a shaky start to life at Celtic Park and even if he emerges as a viable first-choice, needs competition and back-up.
One player who could potential provide what the Hoops are looking for is Chelsea player Baba Rahman.
Like Celtic, Rahman is at a cross-roads. The next step in his career needs to be a positive one after a failed spell at the Stamford Bridge side.
Signed for an initial £14m back in 2015 by Jose Mourinho (The Daily Mail), he’s managed to make just 23 appearances in total for the club.
A loan to Schalke didn’t turn out much better after severe injury problems that kept him out of action throughout 2017 and 2018.
Yes, that recently history would ordinarily raise alarm bells and it’s true that the defender’s career has seriously stalled, but over the last eight months there have been positive signs he’s getting things back on track.
He signed for Ligue 1 side Stade Reims in January and managed to get a regular game in the second half of the season, helping them to an eighth-placed top-flight finish.
His form brought him back into international contention too, playing four matches for Ghana after a two-and-a-half year absence.
Not included in Chelsea’s pre-season plans, he’s also been left out of their Premier League squad for the season and has less than a year left on his current contract, meaning there’s an opportunity to do a deal.
Encouragingly for clubs like Celtic, GhanaWeb have reported he is eager to leave Chelsea and is willing to take a pay cut to play somewhere regularly, so Premier League wages might not necessarily be required.
Moving for him this summer could both solve Celtic’s left-back problem, land them a talented international asset still young at 25 and a hungry player who is on the rise after frustrating seasons in the past.
That sounds like the kind of profile the Hoops need to bring in to provide a bit of hope at left-back.
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