Celtic will be looking for new signings this summer, with Lee Congerton
Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers
Last week, Celtic confirmed the appointment of Lee Congerton as their new Head of Recruitment, with the Welshman reuniting with Bhoys manager Brendan Rodgers.
Celtic saw chief scout John Park leave the club earlier this season, and after a lengthy wait for a replacement, they have landed Congerton to assist manager Rodgers in the transfer market.
Congerton, formerly of Sunderland, worked with Rodgers at Chelsea, and their long-lasting relationship has been renewed at Celtic Park ahead of the summer transfer window.
It remains to be seen who Celtic will target, but Rodgers has shown a tendency to sign players he has worked with previously; summer signings Dorus De Vries, Kolo Toure and Scott Sinclair had all played under Rodgers at Swansea or Liverpool, and other players throughout his managerial career – such as Joe Allen, Fabio Borini and Danny Graham – had more than one spell under Rodgers’ tutelage.
Should Rodgers go down a similar path this summer, then Nottingham Forest’s Michael Mancienne makes sense as a possible target, especially considering that he signed for Hamburg during Congerton’s spell as Technical Director of the Bundesliga side.
Mancienne worked with both Rodgers and Congerton in the youth setup at Chelsea before following Congerton to Hamburg in 2011, and after 55 appearances in Germany, he returned to England with Nottingham Forest in 2014.
Michael Mancienne in action for Nottingham Forest
The 29-year-old has now racked up almost 100 appearances for Forest, but is heading towards the final stages of his contract, and he can leave on a free transfer this summer – a situation Congerton and Rodgers should keep an eye on.
Whilst Celtic have defenders such as Erik Sviatchenko, Jozo Simunovic and Dedryck Boyata, Kolo Toure looks set to leave this summer, opening up a spot for an experienced defender. Mancienne, with almost 300 career appearances, fits the bill, whilst his ability to play in holding midfield would also add depth to the Bhoys squad.
Mancienne would be far from a flashy signing for Celtic, but he’s been coached by Rodgers and signed by Congerton in recent history, meaning he could be on the Bhoys’ radar as a bargain depth signing this summer.
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