Celtic double transfer blow could be beneficial for Kristoffer Ajer

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Could Kristoffer Ajer establish himself as a key player for Celtic this season?

Over the space of a few days, Celtic have been dealt two blows in their quest to sign a central defender in the summer transfer window.

First, Rivaldo Coetzee failed his medical at Celtic due to a problem with his right foot, as reported by BBC Sport, and then Manchester City’s Jason Denayer decided to snub a return to Celtic Park to go back to Galatasaray on loan, according to The Daily Record.

Dedryck Boyata’s injury means that Celtic are short of a central defender at the moment, but do the Glasgow giants really need another player in that position, even in the short term?

Boyata will recover before long, and until then, Celtic can use Kristoffer Ajer. The 19-year-old central defender has been on the books of the Hoops since the summer of 2016 and spent the second half of last season on loan at Kilmarnock.

The Norway Under-21 international is far from the finished article, but there is no doubt that he is hugely talented.

All Ajer needs to be a success at Celtic is a run of games and the confidence of the manager.

Instead of signing a new centre-back, Rodgers should put faith in the teenager, who could benefit from Celtic’s failure to sign Coetzee or Denayer if he is allowed to play regularly in the first team.