France is a hotbed for brilliant young centre-backs these days and Duverne is just the latest to emerge.
Brendan Rodgers is keen on adding another talented youngster to his Celtic squad in January with Mercato365 reporting that Lens’ teenage centre-back Jean-Kevin Duverne is at the top of his wishlist.
The 19-year-old only made his first-team debut in August last year but is already established as the first-choice centre-back for the Ligue 2 outfit, drawing comparisons in some quarters with classy, ball-playing Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane.
France Football reported earlier in the season that Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Sunderland Newcastle United, Liverpool and a number of illustrious Spanish clubs had expressed an interest in Duverne who is rated as one of the most exciting defensive talents in a nation that has recently produced the likes of Kurt Zouma, Samuel Umtiti, Varane and Aymeric Laporte.
However, Mercato365 claim that Celtic have now joined the list of suitors just a day after it was revealed that the Scottish champions had agreed a deal for FC Krasnodar’s 19-year-old Ivorian midfielder Kouassi Eboue (below).
However, they add that Lens, currently three points off the top in the French second division, are unwilling to sell their prized asset as they look to earn promotion back to Ligue 1.
And, while Duverne admitted recently that he was flattered by the interest in his services, per France Football, he is renowned for his maturity and level-headed outlook – meaning he is unlikely to demand a move away before he is ready.
The teenager also claimed to the same publication that he idolises Sergio Ramos and Thiago Silva though, if he ends up being half as good as two of the world’s leading centre-backs, Celtic may find that he ends up being slightly out of their price range.
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