Centre-back is starting to become a bit of a problem for Celtic. Carl Starfelt has struggled with injuries for a while. He missed pre-season, made a comeback and is now back on the shelf once again. On the other hand, Cameron Carter-Vickers got injured in the game vs Shakhtar Donetsk and seems to be still out on the sidelines, as he was not pictured in the latest training session.
On the other hand, we saw Moritz Jenz and Stephen Welsh paired up in the game vs St Mirren, and it is safe to say that they did not impress as the Hoops collapsed to an unexpected 2-0 defeat.
Thus, it might not be the worst idea in the world for Celtic to bring in another centre-back, particularly someone who can deal with the physicality of the Scottish game. And they might just have the perfect opportunity to do that without having to shell out a transfer fee.
Nikola Maksimovic is a free agent right now, having left Genoa. And he could be exactly what Celtic are looking for on the short-term.
Celtic have a great chance to sign brilliant defender on free transfer
Maksimovic stands at 6′ 4″ and he has some top level experience as well, having represented the likes of Napoli, Torino and Genoa in Serie A.
In fact, Napoli were believed to have signed him from Torino for a transfer fee believed to be around €20 million.
In the past, he has been linked with clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea. Even a year or so back, the likes of Liverpool and Inter Milan were believed to be interested and this summer, he was heavily linked with a free transfer to AS Roma, although it did not transpire.
Often compared to Nemanja Vidic, the 30-year-old could be a solid addition to Celtic on a free transfer. Of course, he might want to remain in Italy but the promise of Champions League football could very well be enticing as well as the chance to compete for trophies.