Neil Lennon’s Scottish Premiership champions Celtic reportedly want to sign £2.5m Ecuador midfielder Jose Cifuentes.
Before the summer is out, Celtic could sign a young, tenacious central midfielder who is already earning a budding reputation thanks to his all-action style. Sound familiar?
Yes, there are certainly comparisons to be drawn between Eboue Kouassi, the forgotten figure of Parkhead, and Ecuador wonder kid Jose Cifuentes. Though Celtic will obviously be hoping that the latter has a far more positive impact in Scottish football than the former.
According to the Scottish Sun, the Hoops are eyeing a £2.5 million deal for the America de Quito starlet, who made his name during the U20 World Cup this summer. Cifuentes himself told Football Scotland that he was flattered by Celtic’s interest.
Cifuentes, for what it’s worth, is just a few months older than Eboue when he swapped Krasnodar for Celtic in a £3 million deal in January 2017 (BBC).
The industrious Ivorian arrived with plenty of rough edges but, despite spending two years under Brendan Rodgers, he never managed to smooth them out. Eboue failed to hone his technique or control his natural aggression, which explains why he made just a smattering of appearances last season.
Fortunately, Cifuentes already appears to be much further on in his development.
His performances during Ecuador’s U20 World Cup campaign in Poland were remarkable because they were so mature. Cifuentes, at just 20, is already able to dominate a game with his excellent passing range and tactical awareness.
In short, he looks like the player Celtic hoped Eboue would become.
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