Christophe Berra has helped Edinburgh giants Heart of Midlothian break a club record, so why didn’t Scottish Premiership champions Celtic consider him?
Celtic have been looking far and wide for new defenders this month.
So far, it has been a case of one in, one out at Parkhead, with the arrival of Martin Compper from RB Leipzig preceding the exit of Erik Sviatchenko, who has returned to Danish football via a loan spell at FC Midtjylland.
It is understood that Brendan Rodgers wants one more addition to stabilise a defence that has been hit by injuries this season, and has looked a little shaky on one or two occasions.
Unfortunately for Celtic fans, however, it appears that the chance to sign Christophe Berra has passed them by. The long-serving Scotland international was the subject of interest from rivals Hearts and Rangers when leaving Ipswich Town in the summer, per The Scotsman, and was eventually tempted by the prospect of returning to Tynecastle after eight years away.
Though with Berra back to his best at Hearts, and arguably the Scottish Premiership’s stand-out centre-back across 2017/18, Celtic fans are understandably wondering why the champions did not make a move.
Berra has been a pillar of consistency at Hearts, barely putting a foot wrong and ensuring the club have now gone seven games without conceding a goal – a club record.
And Celtic fans will not forget just how impressive he was in Hearts’ 4-0 trouncing of the Hoops in December. But with Berra emerging as the undisputed star of Tynecastle, a January switch to Parkhead looks out of the question.
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