Will Celtic’s MLS loan duo ever make it at Parkhead?

Manny Perez

Perez, a 21 year old right back, plays for North Carolina in the United Soccer League Championship (USLC), that’s one league down from MLS in the league hierarchy. His team will, like many, be awaiting more information on how the return to playing is to happen safely for everyone concerned.

Perez featured regularly over the first 12 games of the 2019 season until injury in May 2019. He’d been playing more as a wide midfielder than right back, which does sound promising for Celtic. Perez returned to first team playing action in August but mainly as a substitute. Although at least one of those part appearances was strong enough with a couple of goal assists to earn him a place in the USLC “Team of the Week”. And then in October Perez played for the US U-23 squad and scored the final goal in a 6-1 win against El Salvador.

For the early part of the 2020 season he’s only played just over an hour in one game in March before the league was suspended. Celtic fans will be interested to hear of him talking about his pace in a very positive write up of his performance by the North Carolina club news team.

"“Whether he was taking on defenders one-on-one with the ball at his feet or gliding past his marker to chase down services, Perez was the most active playmaker for either side for a good portion of the match”"

Perez does sound like he has potential, even though playing at a lower level in the league but with international experience. But he’d be up against Frimpong and Elhamed for a place at Celtic, with Ralston already out on loan. So again, unless anything changes, a return to Celtic seems unlikely for this 10-in-a-row season.

Which does mean that like Gutman, his signing and loan back does seem very odd and perhaps a sudden impulse at the end of a transfer window to protect against some event or outcome that never actually happened. But we all know things change quickly in football, so we may yet still see either player.