Celtic are once again interested in signing Brest flyer Romain Perraud although the Scottish giants will face competition from Premier League outfit Leeds United, as reported by the Mirror.
If Celtic could turn back the clock to the summer of 2019, you would imagine they would make a different decision about a jet-heeled left-back who, at the time, was desperate seal a move to the green half of Glasgow.
According to La Depeche, Perraud was willing to take a pay cut to join Neil Lennon’s side after an impressive breakthrough season in Ligue 2 with Paris FC.
“This summer, Celtic contacted me with a view to a transfer. But Celtic decided to change their mind – and that meant I went to Brest instead,” he told the Daily Record on August 10 2019 (10.54am).
In the end, Brest snapped up Perraud for just £2.5 million – less than Celtic would end up paying for Boli Bolingoli. Two years on, it is fair to say only one of those aforementioned left-backs has lived up to his price-tag.
Brest will almost certainly demand far more than that if or when Leeds come calling during the summer window.
The Mirror claims that the Yorkshire giants have identified Perraud as the natural left-sided full-back Bielsa’s squad is missing, despite the best efforts of the madcap Macedonian Gianni Alioski.
And Perraud certainly sounds like a player tailor-made for Bielsa-ball, a ‘hyperactive’, all-action, uber-attacking wide player with three goals and five assists to his name this season.
Although, with Diego Laxalt set to return to AC Milan after an inconsistent loan spell, Perraud is back on the radar of the deposed Kings of Scotland too.
But Celtic could have saved themselves plenty of time, and quite a lot of money, by signing Perraud two years ago.
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