International star could be the perfect signing for Celtic

With the summer transfer window now upon us, Celtic are being linked with a number of players and one area that they might be looking to strengthen in is on the wings. Thanks to finishing the previous season as the Premiership champions, the Hoops will play in the Champions League group stage, meaning they could do with some reinforcements all over the pitch.

On the other hand, the Rangers are expected to bolster their squad as well, after losing their Scottish crown to their Glasgow rivals just a year after winning it.

Rabbi Matondo is a player who has been linked with a move to Celtic in recent times but they are not the only ones. Ligue 1 clubs such as RC Lens, Stade Brest and ESTAC Troyes and several Premier League clubs like Leeds United, Brentford and newly-promoted Nottingham Forest are also rumoured to be keeping an eye on the Welsh international. On top of it all, the Rangers have been linked with him as well.

But, exactly who is Rabbi Matondo and why is there so much hype surrounding him at the moment?

Who is Celtic’s Welsh international target?

Matondo joined the Cardiff City youth academy in 2006 and after almost a decade there, he moved to the Manchester City academy in 2016.

Three years later, Schalke 04 came calling for his services and he moved to Germany. He was not a major hit for them though. Instead, he has had loan spells with Stoke City and Cercle Brugge.

Matondo had a brilliant loan spell with Cercle Brugge last season, and his performances for the Belgian club have caught the eye of clubs around Europe.

While a winger, Matondo likes to play more of an inside forward role rather than that of a conventional winger. He is pacey and possesses a low centre of gravity that helps him turn the defenders and get past them with ease. He also has a knack for taking long-range shots and finding the back of the net from distance.

Celtic could certainly do with a player like him, especially with the futures of Mikey Johnston unclear and Karamoko Dembele expected to be on his way out, with his deal running out. James Forrest might have been handed a long-term deal just recently, but he has struggled for form and fitness for a long time.