Olivier Ntcham could be on his way out of the Scottish Premiership – but worry not Celtic fans, Dorsch can replace him at Parkhead.
For Olivier Ntcham, all has been forgiven and forgotten. And that is perhaps the biggest compliment that can be paid to a midfielder who has been reborn at Celtic under Neil Lennon.
As recently as July, the French midfielder made it clear that he felt he had outgrown the relatively small pond that is Scottish football. He felt the wrath of Celtic fans, who had stuck by Ntcham through thick and thin, particularly during a difficult 2018/19 season in which he looked about as interested as a moody 13-year-old during a family trip to a paint-drying exhibition – and it’s fair to say manager Neil Lennon shared their rage.
Four months later, however, Ntcham is letting his footballing do the talking these days. Thankfully, the £4 million man is enjoying his best run of form in well over a year with that sublime, stoppage time winner away at Lazio etching his name into Celtic’s history books as The Hoops won away at Italian opposition for the first time ever.
So reports from Tuttomercatoweb that Roma, Valencia and Sporting Lisbon are all hoping to turn Ntcham’s head again during the January transfer window will hardly be well received on the green half of Glasgow. With Rangers breathing down their neck and the Europa League knockout stages looming large, Lennon will be desperate to keep every one of his key players until the end of the season at least.
But Celtic know that it doesn’t take much for Ntcham’s head to be turned. He has been flirting with an exit for the well over a year now after all. And, with the Telegraph reporting that the £2.8 million-rated Niklas Dorsch has admirers at Parkhead, it seems that The Hoops have already identified a ready-made replacement for their unfaithful Frenchman.
The former Bayern Munich youngster has enjoyed a brilliant season for Heidenheim in the second tier, and with an average of 2.5 tackles per game and a 91 per cent pass completion rate, comparisons with Real Madrid supremo Toni Kroos are not exactly wide of the mark.
Dorsch possesses the same stylish, technical qualities that make Ntcham one of the most gifted footballers in Scotland.
Moussa Dembele to Odsonne Edouard, Dedryck Boyata to Christopher Jullien; if there’s any club who have proven that everyone is replaceable, it’s Celtic.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
