Marvin Compper has failed to force his way into Celtic’s XI since he left RB Leipzig and the Bundesliga for the Scottish Premiership in January.
The veteran had made just two Bundesliga appearances in the first half of the season after falling well down the pecking order at the Red Bull Arena – any many Hoops fans did not understand why Brendan Rodgers was not going for a younger, more exciting player with the potential to lead their defence for years to come.
Yes Compper is an experienced defender who could provide a cool head amid the madness of Dedryck Boyata or Jozo Simunovic. And, yes, the former Fiorentina man is a cultured and left-footed ball-playing centre-half who should in theory fit into Rodgers’ system.
But, four months after the Celtic supporters expressed their doubts, Compper has done little to change minds at Parkhead.
Injuries delayed his debut but, even after returning to fitness, the one-time German international is still awaiting his maiden Scottish Premiership appearance. His only outing to date was the Scottish Cup quarter-final win against second tier Morton.
And while Rodgers has told the Daily Record that Compper has had a real impact on team spirit behind the scenes, similar to the role fellow veteran Kolo Toure used to play at Parkhead, the fact is that he is already behind Kristoffer Ajer and Jack Hendry in the pecking order, not to mention Boyata and Simunoivc.
For £1 million, Celtic would have wanted more than a dressing room presence.
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