Celtic were linked with a move for Giovanni Troupee during the summer, so perhaps the Hoops should consider a fresh move.
In some ways, Brendan Rodgers may actually be slightly grateful to Mikael Lustig after his hugely disappointing first-half performance in Celtic’s win over Partick Thistle on Tuesday night.
Lustig seems to have been off the boil for a while now and his latest performance certainly convinced some fans that Rodgers should not look to rely on the Swede any longer. And if Rodgers is thinking along similar lines – he may well be, given that the defender was substituted at half-time – he may be pleased that he still has just under a week of the transfer window to potentially change things.
Cristian Gamboa has barely featured for Rodgers while Anthony Ralston is certainly a talent for the future, and it would not be a surprise if many Hoops supporters were urging the Celtic boss to give the academy graduate a chance now.
But if Rodgers has concerns, then perhaps he should look again at a summer target who is being lined up by a number of sides for a potential loan deal.
The Daily Record reported back in April that Celtic were keeping a keen eye on Utrecht defender Giovanni Troupee, who has certainly made a positive impression since bursting onto the scene in the Eredivisie.
De Telegraaf reported this week that three Serie A clubs and Championship outfit Leeds United are keen on signing Troupee on loan, so perhaps Celtic should reignite their interest and make a fresh move.
The Record reported last year that Troupee was valued at £1.75 million. And simply based on the fact that he has not featured regularly for Utrecht this term, it may not be out of the question to suggest that his asking price will not have increased too significantly in the months since, so perhaps a loan or permanent move could be discussed.
The Partick result may have been a positive one for the Hoops ultimately, but perhaps Rodgers should still view the performance from Lustig as something of a wake-up call that it is time to consider where his long-term successor is coming from. Ralston should definitely be a contender, but perhaps they should also look to bring Troupee in to Parkhead to give them even more strength.
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