Scottish Premiership champions Celtic were considering bringing Kairat Almaty midfielder Bauyrzhan Islamkhan to Parkhead.
Bauyrzhan Islamkhan is not a name that will be too familiar with Celtic fans.
But it seems that the 24-year-old Kazakhstan international could have been wearing the green and white hoops right now, if he had bulked up a little, that is.
The captain of Kairat Almaty and the 2014 Kazakh Player of the Year, Islamkhan is a technically gifted attacking midfielder, one that would surely fit into Brendan Rodgers’ free-flowing and creative style of play.
But Islamkhan’s agent, Daguev Timur, has insisted that there was one reason why the Scottish Premiership champions decided against bringing him to Parkhead.
“Celtic looked at Bauyrzhan very closely and liked him a lot. They liked the fact he is an intelligent player and thought he was up to the standard of their club,” Timur said in quotes reported by the Scottish Sun.
“But you know what British football is like and how physical it can be. Celtic weren’t completely convinced he would be able to handle the physical side of the game and pulled out.
“It’s a shame because in terms of ability, he has everything and is certainly technically gifted. He just needs to work on what we would call his football anger.”
Islamkhan has proven himself against Scottish opposition in the past, scoring the winner in a 2-1 first-leg Europa League qualifying victory over Aberdeen back in 2015.
But football history is littered with examples of intelligent and technical players struggling to deal with the pace and power of the British game.
Celtic may play some of the most eye-catching football on UK shores, but their midfield boasts players with real dynamism and energy to complement their skill and style, a la Stuart Armstrong and Olivier Ntcham.
Maybe Islamkhan, like Rangers flop Carlos Pena for example, simply is not a good fit for football in Glasgow.
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