Brendan Rodgers has already been reunited with three of his former players this summer.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
Celtic may have reached the Champions League group-stages but their 5-4 aggregate victory over Hapoel Be’er Sheva, and their 2-0 defeat in the second-leg in particular, confirmed that Brendan Rodgers still needs additional depth in defence.
Having signed Scott Sinclair, Dorus de Vries and Kolo Toure already this summer, it appears that Rodgers prefers turning to players who he already knows well, having worked with the trio during his stints at previous clubs.
Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho
Therefore, news that Mamadou Sakho is free to leave Liverpool on loan this summer (via Daily Mail) should surely alert the Northern Irishman as he would undoubtedly be the kind of addition that would strengthen their ranks considerably.
The Frenchman played under Rodgers at Anfield, and it was arguably during their time together on Merseyside that the centre-back showed his best form for the Reds.
And he would surely stand an excellent chance of replicating that form if he decided to move to Parkhead for the season. Having played alongside Hoops summer signing Toure for Liverpool, it is unlikely that it will take the 26-year-old that long to adapt to the new surroundings, especially as he will have a good idea of what Rodgers will be expecting from him.
And with Celtic’s struggles on the continent in recent years meaning that their defenders boast little European experience – barring spells in other domestic leagues – his arrival would certainly improve their chances when they come up against some of the world’s best strikers.
Though discipline appears to be the issue that has seen him put in the shop window at Liverpool (via Mail), Rodgers will look at their history together and may feel confident that he can get the best out of him once again.
And with any potential deal likely to be a loan move, it would not represent a huge gamble for the Hoops to seek an agreement and would not deplete their remaining funds too much going into the final days of the window.
With Tuesday’s result in Israel confirming that going into the Champions League group-stages without further defensive reinforcements coming in would be a mistake, Rodgers simply cannot let the opportunity to sign an international defender who he knows very well pass him by, otherwise European disappointment may not be too far away.
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