Celtic are said to be considering loaning out a summer signing as soon as the January transfer window. The Bhoys are yet to get a look at Joel van den Berg in action but are already thinking about sending him out on loan.
Van den Berg was signed from PSV Eindhoven for £3.4million within a day of the summer window closing, but he is yet to play. The main reason for that is the 19-year-old picking up an ankle injury last month that has kept him out of action.
Van den Berg is said to be close to returning to action, although we don't know whether opportunities to play will be forthcoming. According to the Football Insider, the Dutchman is very much viewed as one for the future, and it's for that reason Celtic will consider sending him out on loan for him to continue developing with more regular game time.
Ultimately, Callum McGregor and Mika Baur look to have the midfield spots locked down for now, and the Bhoys will surely sign a higher quality midfielder to play in one of the two deep roles in January.
It would be a surprise if they didn't, and especially if they are still in Europe at that point. Behind the current duo, Celtic also have Alex Oxlade-Chambarlain and they will be expected to play Oliver Sorensen by his loan club Parma.
Having said that, there is time for Van den Berg to prove his worth and perhaps prove he is already ready for a bigger role than Celtic have carved out for him. The Bhoys don't have a great level of competition in their midfield as things stand, and one or two injuries could change things.
The problem could come after January if a new midfielder is signed, which is likely, and that is likely why Celtic have an eye on a loan deal to make sure the youngster plays regularly in the second half of the campaign.
Celtic's late scramble is being exposed
Some fans got excited when Celtic brought in a flurry of new signings late in the window to cover for their poor business throughout the summer. We warned then that it was simply hole filling from Celtic, and that many of the players would not prove useful in the short-term, and so it has proved.
Van den Berg is already being lined up for a loan exit, Shim Mheuka is the fourth-choice striker, Landon Emenalo isn't going to play a big role, and neither is Oliver Sorensen.
That said, Van den Berg was a cheap investment, and we likely can't judge the quality of the signing for a couple of years. But it is worth pointing out that Celtic masked quality with quantity at the end of the window.
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