A deal is closing in for a new defender joining Celtic. It looks like a pre-contract scenario with Ben Davies out of contract in the summer. But the club need urgently to explore the opportunity of an immediate rather than a delayed arrival.
Sky Sports Transfer Centre has an update this evening on the long standing target for Neil Lennon and hopefully for whoever his replacement is to be too. Celtic have been following Ben Davies at Preston North End for a while now. He’s due out of contract this summer and would represent a cheap deal, which is always attractive for the Hoops board.
The 25-year-old is capable of playing both as a centre-back and a left-back and currently plays for Preston North End in the Championship. No doubt Scott Sinclair will have put in a good word for his former club. That might be needed after how the club has performed this season, both on and off the pitch.
The talk is that Davies has already indicated to Preston that he won’t be renewing his contract there, and there have been conflicting reports in the media with some even claiming he has already agreed a move to Parkhead.
Celtic should try to get the deal done in January itself
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That’s all well and good, he sounds like a good player and the Hoops need defensive cover. And a player who can cover as left-back alongside playing primarily as a centre-back provides excellent flexibility. But why wait until the summer?
Preston know they are about to let the player go for free in a few months. Celtic have defensive gaps due to injuries and form and the risk that others, like Jeremie Frimpong, may move out sooner than planned.
Davies sounds like he would fit in well and if he could sign and join in January itself, it would likely help the transition of the team overall. Sure it may mean a few pounds more now than in the summer but that’s likely to be relatively modest and probably money well spent to get a head start for next season.
Let’s get the deal done if it’s going to happen anyway.