Celtic Set To Fill Left Back Slot

At last, at long last, Celtic look as if they are moving to secure cover for Emilio Izaguirre.

Ronny Deila has apparently made this his number one priority.

About time too.

Reports today have us linked, again, with German fullback Marcel Halstenberg but every one of them contains the same qualifier; would he come to Scotland?

That’s a question we have to answer, and soon, and if he’s not interested then we have to move swiftly onto an alternative target, because you cannot have watched Emilio in the pre-season and not be slightly concerned.

This becomes even more worrying when you consider that right now our only possible replacement for Izzy, should he become injured or his form deteriorate further, would be Charlie Mulgrew …

I hear the collective “gulp” in the background, believe me.

Before the departure of Adam Matthews, we at least had someone who could deputise in this slot, creating a little competition and giving Izzy something to think about.

Right now, he knows he can pretty much walk into the team week in week out and that’s never good for a side.

Don’t get me wrong, Izzy has never struck me as particularly big headed or full of himself but when you create a situation where someone knows they are an automatic pick for every match even the most lucid and well-adjusted player might let it go to his head a wee bit, letting complacency creep in.

The need for cover in this position is about more than just loss of form and the possibility of injury.

Izzy is one of those players who, for the last couple of years, has barely had a summer of rest.

He has been playing football constantly in that time, with only the merest hint of a break from the sport.

It is important to factor that in to our thinking.

The left back slot has been problematic for a while at Celtic Park, and there are a number of names who have been linked with a move to cover it, but none of these links had actually led to a signing.

One of them, the Dutch defender Mitchell Dijks, has already signed for Ajax and our reported move for former Dundee Utd defender Barry Douglas has not gone anywhere or borne fruit.

One of the problems undoubtedly facing us, and which has to be a consideration, is that any player we sign has to be eligible to play in Europe or there’s simply no point.

Which means that if we allow this go on too long the risk grows that any player who becomes available will already have been selected for his club side in continental competition.

This would be typical of Celtic; to identify someone we like and then to wait around until the move becomes untenable because of this issue.

Celtic needs to get this one sorted soon. The left back area is crucial.

We cannot go into our next Champions League qualifiers – far less the next round – with this still unresolved.

Overall, the squad looks in good shape at the moment with the midfield as strong as most of us can ever remember it and Leigh Griffiths having competition in the shape of Nadir Ciftci, a signing which has apparently sparked Leigh into even greater form, judging by his performance at the weekend.

That’s what competition is supposed to do.

That’s why we need this left back situation sorted … and quick.