Celtic want Premier League man as Bolingoli replacement

Celtic reportedly have a Premier League player as their newest target in a search to find a replacement for Boli Bolingoli.

By now almost all Celtic fans are familiar with leftback Boli Bolingoli’s secret trip to Spain and then his subsequent time on the pitch against Kilmarnock last weekend. That little escapade has led to the player and now potentially the club getting fined by the SFA.

As a result of these punishments, fines and subsequent embarrassment the club is looking to rid themselves of the PR nightmare that Bolingoli has become. French-side Amiens SC seem amenable to take Bolingoli on a season-long loan with an option to buy at the end of the spell. However, that leaves another question: who will take his place in the squad?

The Hoops backline is already weak to begin with. Greg Taylor is the starting leftback and despite a few solid performances early he still has some question marks surrounding him. Centrebacks Kristoffer Ajer and Christopher Jullien have had their fair share of criticism as of late due to not being physical enough. These physicality concerns have led to rumours gaining traction of Brighton’s Shane Duffy coming to the club on loan.

But, what about cover at left back? According to Sky Sports, Leeds United leftback Barry Douglas is a potential target high on the Hoops’ transfer list. At 30 years of age, the Leeds left-back could prove to bring an extra dimension to the backline. Douglas has experience which could play well to the younger players’ development. While his delivery is also great, which is something neither Bolingoli nor Taylor seem to possess in their arsenal.

Celtic are kicking into gear with transfer business after recently remaining quiet on that front. Some believe that after the Bolingoli incident the club is trying to save face by putting an emphasis on bringing in new players for the 10IAR. Whatever the case, it is good to see the club considering quality options.