It is clear that Celtic will have to undergo a major overhaul if they are to make it back to the top of the Scottish Premiership. They could start that by signing the former Premier League midfielder, who is available for free at the moment.
According to French publication Le Parisien, Celtic have been offered the services of former Stoke City midfielder Gianelli Imbula. Primarily a defensive midfielder, he may provide a prudent long-term solution for long-time captain Scott Brown should he retire upon the season’s completion.
Imbula has played for clubs like Marseille, FC Porto and Stoke City throughout his career. Intriguingly, within this timespan, he accumulated a combined transfer cost of £46.58 million which demonstrates how highly he was rated at one point of time. He has also been capped by the Democratic Republic of Congo on two separate occasions
Despite this, his fortunes have taken a turn for the worst which currently leave him without a club after a spell with Russian Premier League side Sochi. Could this open the door for the Hoops to make an approach for the anchor man?
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Imbula could be a shrewd signing for Celtic
Strong in the tackle and adept at shielding the ball in tight situations, Imbula is an imposing figure in the middle of the park. This could benefit the Hoops substantially, as his ball winning credentials and tendency to progress the ball to teammates may drive them up the pitch and initiate attacking moves in.
The club will need to get creative on the transfer front, due to the current financial impact of the pandemic. Free-agent markets potentially can provide them with an avenue of securing quality additions. At 28 years of age, there is real scope that Imbula could be a diamond in the rough should Neil Lennon dip into the market this month.
Advantageously, the Hoops could acquire Imbula even after the impending closure of the January window due to his status as a free agent.