da dobrowin： As the summer transfer window trundles on, there is still one key bit of business at Celtic that sticks out as not yet complete – signing a replacement for Patrick Roberts.
da bet7： There are no signs that the young winger will be making a return to Glasgow from Manchester City this summer and as we get to the tail-end of the window Celtic need to start thinking about alternatives to the England youth international.
Yes the club have brought in Jonny Hayes but most supporters would consider him as a squad depth signing who can help out with the heavy schedule of fixtures between league, cup and European action. The Hoops need a winger of real quality who has proven talent at a very good level.
With the rest of the Celtic first-team looking in good shape for the most part, barring injuries, signing another winger to play opposite to Scott Sinclair could be the missing piece of the jigsaw that allows them to progress in Europe.
Here are THREE wingers that the Hoops should be targeting this summer…
Arber Zeneli
Arber Zeneli is a 22-year-old Kosovo international who has emerged as a very bright talent in Eredivisie over the last season and a half. He joined Dutch outfit Heerenveen in January 2016 from Elfsborg, showing the kind of attacking talent and dribbling skill that would be a real asset to a team like Celtic.
Last season he scored seven goals and assisted six more in all competitions, using his ability to drift past full-backs and shoot from distance to become one of the side’s key players.
His form for Allsvenkan side Elfsborg before his move to the Netherlands was impressive, scoring ten goals and assisting eight in the 2015 season.
A product of Sweden’s youth international teams, he represented the country of his birth at three age levels before deciding to play for Kosovo at senior level last year.
Still young, he fits the Celtic profile and we’re sure working under a coach like Brendan Rodgers would bring his game on massively.
Max Gradel
Max Gradel has suffered a frustrating couple of seasons at Bournemouth but as we know from the likes of Scott Sinclair, Celtic can be a place of rebirth that can see players capture the best form of their career.
If Brendan Rodgers could tap into the form that Gradel is capable of then Celtic would have a very fine winger on their hands.
Devastating form for Leeds United in 2010/11, a season in which he won the club’s player of the year award, saw him win a move to Ligue 1 with St Etienne where he similarly stood out as an exceptional talent on the wing.
His best season for the French side came in 2014/15, the season before his move to Bournemouth. He scored a magical 17 goals, assisting four more, showing he was as adept at playing on the right wing as he was the left.
A move to Celtic could revitalise his career and that would be a fantastic boost to Rodgers’ first team.
Sam Larsson
Mention the name Larsson in connection to Celtic and it’ll immediately get Hoops fans’ hearts racing. Sam Larsson though is a different animal to the Henrik that made his name in Glasgow, but apparently no less potent when it comes to attacking prowess.
Like Arber Zeneli, he plays for Heerenveen in Eredivisie and has actually proven to be a more effective talent than his teammate.
He had a season to be proud of last term, notching up a fantastic 25 direct goal contributions, split between 9 finishes of his own and 16 assists, which is actually very similar to Patrick Roberts’ output at Celtic.
The Swedish cap is still young at 24 years of age and appears ready to make the step up to UEFA Champions League level. Can Celtic make sure that his bright future lies in Scotland?