Celtic readying swoop for “ridiculous” star

Celtic could not have asked for a much better start to the season across all competitions as they head into the final international break of the calendar year.

The Hoops are currently sitting at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, with ten wins and one draw in 11 league matches, and have a League Cup final to look forward to next month.

Brendan Rodgers‘ side have also been strong in the Champions League. They have beaten Slovan and RB Leipzig, and drawn to Serie A side Atalanta, with their 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund being the low-point of the campaign so far.

Last season, the Scottish giants finished bottom of their Champions League group and only won one game, after they had already finished bottom, which means that they have already outperformed their efforts from the 2023/24 campaign.

Summer signing Arne Engels has played a key role in their improvement in Europe. The Belgium international has registered one goal and three assists in four matches in the competition.

At the age of 21, the former Bundesliga starlet is a hugely promising talent and the Hoops look to be eyeing up a swoop to sign another midfielder with significant potential…

Arne Engels’ performances this season

The Hoops smashed their club-record transfer fee to sign the Belgian sensation from Augsburg during the summer transfer window, paying £11m for his services.

As aforementioned, the 21-year-old star has hit the ground running in Europe with four direct goal involvements in four appearances in the Champions League for the Bhoys.

Alongside his impressive displays on the European stage for the Scottish giants, Engels has also caught the eye with his displays in the Premiership for Rodgers.

As you can see in the table above, the £11m-rated maestro has made a big impact at the top end of the pitch with five goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in eight appearances.

However, there is still work to do for the midfielder to make himself a complete option in the middle of the park, as he is currently averaging less than one tackle and interception combined per game.

At the age of 21, there is plenty of time left ahead for him to develop and improve that side of his game, along with his already impressive qualities on the ball, and that is why he could be the future of the team.

Celtic can now sign another midfielder with time on his side to be a mainstay in the XI for many years to come by swooping for one prize asset in January.

Celtic’s interest in Scottish talent

According to the Daily Mail, Celtic are interested in Motherwell central midfielder Lennon Miller and are not the only team in the race for his signature.

The report claims that fellow Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers are also keen on a swoop for the Scotland U21 international, whilst Premier League side Liverpool could also join them in a possible bidding war.

Celtic and Rangers may be hoping that Arne Slot’s team do not join the race for the teenage sensation, as the lure of competing for the Premier League title may tempt him to ditch Scotland for England.

The Daily Mail adds that the two Glasgow sides are both readying moves to sign the Motherwell star when the January transfer window opens for business, as Rodgers looks to add the talented prospect to his squad.

It states that the Premiership outfit are looking for a fee in the region of £4m to allow the youngster to move on, as they want a club-record fee for him. The current record stands at the £3m Celtic paid them to sign David Turnbull.

However, the report does not reveal whether or not Rangers or Celtic are prepared to splash out the £4m that is required to snap him up ahead of the second half of the season.

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Rodgers, though, must push the board to act swiftly, particularly amid reported interest from Liverpool, so that the Hoops do not end up missing out on him and then watching the talented ace go on to thrive elsewhere.

The Premiership champions must secure a £4m deal to bring the 18-year-old to Parkhead in January, as he could be the future of the Celtic midfield alongside Engels.

Why Celtic should sign Lennon Miller

If Rodgers is looking to build his future midfield for the club, the Motherwell star could be the perfect addition to complement Engels in the middle of the park.

Firstly, he is 18 and – like the Belgian star – has many, many, years left ahead of him to develop through experience, which means that he also has the potential to soar in value.

This means that Celtic could have two midfielders with the quality to make a big impact on the pitch and the potential to make the club millions in profit in the future.

Miller’s performances in the Premiership for Motherwell since the start of last season also suggest that he would complement Engles by providing a defensive presence in midfield.

In 25 league outings in the 2023/24 campaign, the teenage gem, who has been described as “ridiculous” by James McFadden, dominated opposition players by winning 68% of his duels on the ground and 70% of his aerial contests.

As you can see in the table above, Miller has also impressed defensively for Motherwell in the current season with 9.5 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game.

Whereas, Engels has only made 3.1 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game for Celtic in the Premiership, which suggests that the Scottish maestro offers significantly more out of possession.

Therefore, the £4m-rated dynamo could be the perfect foil for the Belgian ace in midfield by offering a combative and strong presence off the ball, to allow the former Augsburg man to thrive in the final third without being exposed for his lack of defensive quality.

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