This time around, the Celtic summer signings have not made the instant impact that they did last season. Of course, there are a few clear reasons for that. Back then, Ange Postecoglou had had to bring in a dozen new players and throw them in from the very start of the campaign. Credit to them for stepping up and making a difference. The picture is different now and the team is much more settled.
That means that Postecoglou has the chance now to allow the players to take time to adjust to their new surroundings, teammates and Celtic’s style of football.
We have started to see the likes of Sead Haksabanovic and Aaron Mooy be more and more involved in recent weeks, while Alexandro Bernabei is making his mark as well. Moritz Jenz has been a regular feature from early on due to injury problems at centre-back.
One man who has not played a lot though is Oliver Abildgaard. According to stats from Transfermarkt, he has made 6 appearances and got 128 minutes of football in total. Not a single one of them was a start. And a recent rumour raises questions about his long-term future at Celtic.
Questions arise over Celtic summer signing’s long-term future at Parkhead
As reported by Football Insider, Celtic have set aside cash to sign a new central midfielder in January and they are prioritising the addition of a proven central midfielder capable of shielding the defence.
So, it pretty much sounds like the Hoops are looking to bring in another defensive midfielder to the club in January.
Of course, that is the role that Abildgaard plays. So if the club are indeed looking to bring in another defensive midfielder, that raises questions about his role in the team. Is it possible that he has failed to impress Postecoglou in training? Or is the manager simply looking to add more competition in the midfield? It must also be pointed out that the Dane is only on a season-long loan deal from Rubin Kazan.