An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to add a sixth signing of the summer transfer window to their playing squad…
What's the latest Celtic transfer news?
According to Fennec Football, Brendan Rodgers is eyeing up a bargain Hoops swoop to sign free agent central midfielder Haris Belkebla, who left Stade Brestois upon the expiry of his contract this year.
The report claims that Premier League side Sheffield United are also interested in a deal to snap him up for nothing ahead of their return to the top-flight in England.
However, both clubs will face competition from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which leaves the Algerian maestro with a big decision to make as to whether he remains in Europe or tries his luck elsewhere.
It is stated that the 29-year-old ace's desire is to remain with a European side but a lucrative offer from a Saudi Arabian club could possibly tempt him into changing his stance.
How good is Haris Belkebla?
The experienced 5 foot 10 campaigner has proven himself to be a superb ball-winning midfielder in Ligue 1 over the last few seasons and could be the dream replacement for James McCarthy, who has been touted with an exit from Parkhead.
Celtic signed the Ireland international in the summer of 2021 but he has been unable to nail down a regular starting spot and has been linked with a switch to the MLS this summer.
The arrival of Belkebla could allow Rodgers to sanction an exit for the 32-year-old dud and provide him with a better option in the defensive midfield position to compete with Hyeok-kyu Kwon this season.
Last term, the Algerian international played 38 Ligue 1 matches for Stade Brestois, which shows that he has experience of playing in a major European league, and caught the eye with 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game for his side.
This was 1.3 more per outing than any Celtic midfielder managed in the Scottish Premiership and 0.2 more than Kwon made for Busan IPark across 19 K League 2 matches earlier this year.
McCarthy, meanwhile, made one tackle and zero interceptions in two league outings last season, which came after he averaged 1.3 tackles and interceptions combined across ten appearances in his debut campaign in Scotland – as per Sofascore.
These statistics show that the Irish midfielder has not offered much protection to the back four throughout his time at Parkhead as the ex-Crystal Palace man has not been able to regularly win possession back for his side with key defensive interventions.
Therefore, Belkebla, who has made 127 Ligue 1 appearances in his career, could be a huge upgrade on McCarthy and provide Rodgers with a better option in the number six role due to his exceptional work off the ball to consistently cut out opposition attacks, which could come in handy against tough opposition in Europe.
Having another excellent defensive midfielder, alongside Kwon, could help Celtic when they come up against big sides in the Champions League who will be expected to dominate possession, as the Bhoys would have players who can prevent their goalkeeper and defence from being overly worked.
McCarthy's form for the Scottish giants over the last two years does not suggest that he has the quality to be good enough for that job, which is why Belkebla could be the dream replacement for the MLS-linked dud.
