The once-coveted Swiss centre-back Fabian Schar has been linked with a shock move to Scottish Premiership champions Celtic this summer.
There may have been a dearth of truly world class centre-backs across European football in the last decade or so but Fabian Schar looked destined for the very top during his formative years with FC Basel.
The highly-rated Swiss seemed every inch the prototype modern-day centre-back, combining expert positioning with a passing range that would make the most cultured midfielder green with envy. So it was appeared inevitable that a big break was on its way.
Four years later, however, and it’s fair to say Schar has not come close to living up to those lofty expectations. He failed to showcase those once coveted talents during two frustrating years with Hoffenheim and, in perhaps what can be classed as a personal nadir, has now been relegated from La Liga during a dreadful debut season with Deportivo.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has earned something of a reputation of salvaging careers, the likes of Scott Sinclair, Scott Brown and Craig Gordon ending personal plateaus and soaring under the Northern Irishman’s wing.
And who better to help Schar, who is still young at just 26 years of age, blossom into the top class centre-half he was always expected to be?
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