Celtic recently added to their defensive midfield position by bringing in Tomoki Iwata. It remains to be seen how things turn out for him in Glasgow but there are high expectations. On the other hand, the loan deal of Oliver Abildgaard was cut short, as he failed to establish himself in Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Thus, it feels like there is still a lack of depth at Celtic, when it comes to traditional defensive midfielders. And could the club be looking to strengthen in that position further in the summer?
If recent rumours are to be believed, then it feels like that might be the case. As reported by the Daily Record, reports in Greece suggest that Celtic and Rangers are both trying to sign Panathinaikos captain Dimitrios Kourbelis for next season.
His current deal with the Greek club runs out in the summer. And it looks unlikely that he will be extending his stay there beyond this season. Thus, Kourbelis appears set to be available as a free agent.
Celtic and Rangers battle to sign player on free transfer
Kourbelis is a veteran defensive midfielder. He has played for a top Greek club like Panathinaikos for years. And on top of that, he has made several appearances for the Greece national team as well.
As a result, if Celtic are able to sign him on a free transfer in the summer, then it has the potential to be a masterstroke. Similar to the one they pulled off for Aaron Mooy not too long ago.
Kourbelis is 29 years of age, and still pretty much in the middle of his prime as a result. Thus, this is a situation that fans must surely keep a close eye on over the coming months. Of course, the Rangers potentially being involved in the transfer race makes things even more interesting.