Celtic have been incredible with their recruitment in recent times. It has been one of the primary reasons behind their successes on the pitch under the management of Ange Postecoglou. They are heading into an interesting summer transfer window though. Signings are expected but several players have been linked with moves away as well. And could the Hoops bring back a former player as a free agent?
Of course, fans will not have forgotten the nightmare that was the 2020/21 campaign. One of the bright spots of that season was Mohamed Elyounoussi, who did quite well when given the chance.
The Norwegian spent two seasons on loan at Celtic, from Southampton. And while he was never able to establish himself as a nailed on starter, his numbers for the club were impressive nonetheless.
According to stats from Transfermarkt, he scored 24 goals and provided 14 assists in 67 appearances and 4001 minutes of football for Celtic. That is solid to say the least.
Celtic fan favourite available on free transfer this summer
As tweeted out by Martin Sanders, Elyounoussi will be one of the first departures this summer at Southampton. He has rejected a new contract and is now looking for a fresh start away from the South Coast.
Elyounoussi has been a regular starter for Southampton this season and featured for them all across the pitch. His numbers are nothing to write home about though, as he has not scored a single goal till now in his campaign. At the same time, it is worth pointing out that the Saints are bottom of the Premier League table.
If Liel Abada does leave in the summer then that could leave a gap in the Celtic squad. Would bringing back Elyounoussi as a free agent make sense in that scenario?
At the end of the day, it would all depend on how Elyounoussi fits into Postecoglou’s system. And the fans will trust the manager, with any decision he makes in the summer. He has earned that.