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Celtic must make good on promise and sign £8m-rated defender who left Lionel Messi blown away
COMMENT
Celtic are in desperate need of additions at right-back in the upcoming summer transfer window, and it’s an area of the squad that Brendan Rodgers has previously promised he would bolster.
Ahead of January, the Hoops manager confirmed that he would be looking at right-backs with Mikael Lustig and Cristian Gamboa set to be playing at the World Cup before the Scottish champions play their early Champions League qualifiers.
Even though Rodgers may want to bolster his options there, there’s a good chance that Gamboa will leave having failed to get much first-team football this season and Lustig is all to often being found out by opposing players and should be improved upon.
If Celtic really want to make a statement then Rodgers must make good on him promise to strengthen that area of his squad and sign Manchester City right-back Pablo Maffeo, who could be on the move this summer.
The Mirror reported on their live transfer blog on Wednesday that Stuttgart are ready to make a bid worth £8million for the Spanish defender after being impressed by his performances on loan at Girona this term.
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It is understood that the 21-year-old has played so well for the La Liga club that he even left Barcelona star Lionel Messi blown away by him in one game as the Argentina star praised him at the end of a game in which he was marked by the Premier League player.
Celtic’s transfer record of £6million would have to be smashed in order to sign Maffeo, but doing so would ensure that the club has a right-back who is bound to only improve and would either become a true Parkhead hero, or help gain a massive investment for the future.
It makes a lot of sense for Rodgers to pursue the Man City defender, and there’s no time like the coming weeks and month to strike a deal with a club who they have had such a clear relationship in the past few seasons.
In other Celtic news, the Hoops would show Gerrard who is boss if they sign this £40,000-a-week former Rangers player.
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