As the transfer window nears its end, there is a late flurry of activity at Celtic. Though with a day or two to spare, that's not that late by Celtic standards. It looks as though deals for a couple of midfielders are almost done and the players could be announced officially soon.
Alongside Joel van den Berg and Oliver Sorensen reported to be arriving, and possibly Sam Johnstone now being lined up as a goalkeeper, there are more players rumoured to be under consideration. It’s hard to tell fact from rumour though. And as always it’s likely discussions are ongoing on several fronts for the same position.
There is a suggestion that Feyenoord right-back Jordan Lotomba could be another recruit this summer. It could be more speculation, but let's look at what Celtic might get if a deal was completed. As a quick upfront point, Lotomba could well be a typical Martin O'Neill player.
Jordan Lotomba could be ideal for Celtic
The 27-year-old is very much a defender first. Labelled as a right back he can also cover at centre and left back too. Lotomba is good positionally, tackles well and is strong in the air. He presses well to recover possession and also supports the attacking play. Energetic, tactically aware, versatile positionally and robust. It’s a good combination of attributes that supports O’Neill’s style of play and need for cover in defence.
Lotomba has been at Feyenoord for a couple of years. He moved there from Nice a couple of years back in a €2.2m deal. That’s a bit down from his summer 2020 signing at Nice for €7m. He has plenty of experience at those two clubs, 41 appearances at Feyenoord and 143 at Nice. That's preceded by over 100 appearances at Swiss clubs, Young Boys and Lausanne Sport.
Game time included various European competitions, including that 3-1 win for Celtic in Rotterdam last November. I wonder how much O'Neill noticed his performance at the time despite the defeat. Lotomba is also a Swiss national. He has eight full caps and over 20 at various age levels below that.
He has though had some injury issues in recent times. A serious leg fracture in his first season in Holland disrupted his time there. While he has recovered well, it has meant other players leapt in front of him for selection. Lotomba became more of a cover player, filling in when others were unavailable or being rested.
Loan, permanent deal, or just wild speculation?
It seems that Feyenoord would be happy to let the player move on as they restructure their squad and manage the wage bill. A permanent deal could be on the table, but this may be one where we see Celtic prefer a loan approach, perhaps with an option to buy negotiated. That helps overcome any concerns over injury issues.
Will we see a deal concluded? There’s nothing official or concrete on that front yet. But Celtic do have a habit of late signings and loans. This could be one of those, or just another name making its way around the rumour mill.
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