Celtic signed quite a few players this summer. One of the most interesting additions was that of Aaron Mooy, who came in as a free agent. He had previously been with Shanghai Port FC and had not been the most active in recent years. Thus, quite a few eyebrows were raised at the decision to bring him to Parkhead.
It was just last summer that Celtic had pulled off a similar move for another veteran midfielder in James McCarthy and it is safe to say that that had not worked out. So, the fears from a large section of the fan base was understandable.
And to be honest, Mooy has not been brilliant since arriving at Celtic either. He has mostly played a role off the bench and even when he has been on the pitch, he has not been the most impressive.
On the contrary, his performances for the Australian national team have been great, and in fact, it was one of them that seems to have convinced Ange Postecoglou to bring him to Celtic. As reported by 67 Hail Hail, the manager said in an interview with 10 Football:
"“With Aaron, I signed him pretty much on the back of him being the best player in the ground against Peru (during Australia’s World Cup play-off).“He hadn’t played for ages before that. I’ve always known he’s a great player, I’ve worked with him. I just felt he still has plenty in him, and since he’s been with us, he has built his fitness up, and he’s going really well.“I think he’s one who can make an impact (for Australia at the World Cup).”"
Celtic boss explains why he decided to bring Mooy to Parkhead this summer
Interestingly, this was not the first time that Celtic had been linked with a move for Mooy. In fact, there were rumours last summer as well, but nothing transpired that time around.
But with Mooy being available as a free agent this summer, it made a lot of sense to go after him this time around.
Yes, he has not been spectacular till now but one will be hoping that he gets better moving forward, as he continues to build up his fitness and confidence. While Celtic do not really need a starter in the middle of the park, they could certainly do with a player of Mooy’s quality as cover for the likes of Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate.