‘A good, good player’: Celtic urged to sign £14m ace Postecoglou ‘needs’

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Celtic legend Charlie Nicholas thinks Ange Postecoglou should make a move for £14 million Arsenal misfit Pablo Mari as the defender looks for a route out of the Premier League giants, speaking to the Daily Express. 

The Premiership champions have no fewer than five central defenders on their books heading into the final few weeks of the transfer window. The problem is, not one of those is left-footed. 

Stephen Welsh, Carl Starfelt, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Moritz Jenz and the out-of-favour Christopher Jullien are all more comfortable on the right. As such, Ange Postecoglou’s backline is lacking a bit of balance, the absence of a natural left-footer impacting the coach’s ability to further instil his ‘build-from-the-back’ approach at Parkhead. 

“I still feel the team still needs another left-sided central defender,” says Nicholas, the 1983 SPFA Player of the Year. “Especially if they want to make a real impression in the group stages of Europe’s top club competition.

“I know Ange has Carl Starfelt and brought in Moritz Jenz for Lorient, who can play there. But I would prefer a natural left-sided player, somebody who is comfortable on the ball and good at playing out. 

“I would like to see him go for a quality and experienced central defender, even if it is only on loan.” 

Could Celtic sign Pablo Mari from Arsenal?

Nicholas, who spent five years at Arsenal in the 1980s, believes Celtic could do a lot worse than to look at another of his former clubs. Mari, the former Manchester City and Flamengo centre-half who joined the Gunners in a package worth £14 million, is no longer part of Mikel Arteta plans.  

And, despite talks with Hellas Verona, Napoli and Fiorentina, he future remains very much up in the air.

“The player I would try and get would be Pablo Mari at Arsenal,” Nicholas adds, via Glasgow Times. “The Spaniard is experienced, is naturally left-sided, a real presence and a good, good player. 

“The fact he is at Arsenal and had previously been at Manchester City shows the sort of quality Mari has.

“Until Ange addresses the left-sided centre back then I don’t see Celtic taking that leap forward again. I think Starfelt and Jenz will get Celtic by domestically. But they need to raise the bar again, especially for the Champions League.”