Celtic made their fair share of questionable decisions in the January transfer window. Not signing a left-back despite their problems in that area of the pitch. Signing Adam Idah on loan from Norwich as their cover striker, even though he does not have a proven track record of scoring goals. And many more.
One of them appears to have been the decision to part ways with David Turnbull on deadline day. The midfielder joined Cardiff City for a transfer fee believed to be in the region of £2 million.
Under ideal circumstances, Turnbull's exit would have made sense for all parties. But things have rarely been ideal for Celtic lately.
Reo Hatate was injured while away at the AFC Asian Cup and it is expected to keep him out for around six weeks. It is the Japanese midfielder's third injury of the season. It goes without saying that his fitness issues have significantly weakened Celtic's midfield. Should the club have parted ways with Turnbull considering the situation?
Celtic boss explains questionable £2 million Turnbull exit decision
Brendan Rodgers has shed some light on the thinking behind Turnbull's exit. As reported by The Scotsman, the Celtic manager said:
"It goes back to the summer, knowing where David was at in his thinking.
“Obviously he was in the last year of his contract so I felt it was best for us and for him to get out and play. He has done well here. It hasn’t worked out quite how he wanted it to, but he is a good guy, he worked very hard and now he will have the chance to have a permanent place to play."
Turnbull was in the final six months of his contract at Celtic before leaving for Cardiff City. So, it makes sense why the Hoops were open to the idea of him leaving the club.
At the same time though, with Hatate set for another spell out on the sidelines, perhaps someone like Turnbull could have contributed to the team. Especially when you consider his ability to score goals consistently from the middle of the park.
There are other areas of his game which might be lacking, but Turnbull is an excellent goalscoring midfielder. And goals are what Rodgers' side have lacked on a lot of occasions.