Benjamin Arthur's compelling stats prove why Celtic are right to complete deal
Celtic must look to agree another loan deal with Brentford for Benjamin Arthur after seeing a permanent approach rejected.
Martin O'Neill is keen to bolster his centre-back options this summer after Celtic struggled at the back at times last season.
He has already sanctioned the departures of Maik Nawrocki, Stephen Welsh and Hayato Inamura to deplete their depth in the middle of the backline.
O'Neill gave the green light for the Hoops to loan in Brentford starlet Arthur late in the winter window, as he took his first steps into senior football.
Arthur impressed in his few appearances but was often left out by the 74-year-old as he preferred more experienced options in Celtic's pursuit of silverware on several fronts.
Celtic have had a permanent bid for Arthur on rejected by the Bees, according to a new report, so should explore another loan move to get his signature over the line.
Celtic must explore second Benjamin Arthur loan move as first bid rejected
Arthur made three senior appearances for Brentford in the first half of the campaign before Keith Andrews saw fit to allow him out on loan to Celtic.
It took him some time to get going during his short-term stint, but he came into the side to make his first start against Aberdeen on 4 March and emerged with the official Player of the Match award in a 2-1 win.
Another start came in their penalty shootout cup win away to rivals Rangers four days later, and he went on to impress in further starts against Motherwell and Dundee United.
His final appearance for the club came in mid-April in their 6-2 cup win against St. Mirren, as an injury ruled him out of the post-split fixtures.
Arthur featured for 286 minutes in the Premiership for Celtic, and emerged with standout statistics for successful passes per 90 (71.1), duels won (81.8 per cent) and defensive contributions per 90 (13.5) when compared to other top-flight centre-backs.
It became acutely clear that, given more faith across a full campaign, the 20-year-old could have been a real asset to the Hoops' title charge.
Journalist Uzzi Majid has claimed that Brentford have rejected a bid from Celtic for Arthur, and consider him part of their plans for their future.
They could still allow him out on loan this summer, and the stats show that Celtic should shift their focus to agreeing another temporary deal for the season ahead.
O'Neill clearly rates Arthur after Premier League prediction
Sources have told Football Insider that O'Neill is leading Celtic's transfer plans, and he is clearly keen to reunite with Arthur this summer.
The Hoops boss could not hide his admiration of the Bees starlet after his first appearance for the club in February, as he said: "My genuine belief about Benji is that he will be, in the very foreseeable future, a Premier League player. Definitely.”
Former Brentford development coach and current Dundee boss Steven Pressley compared him to a Premier League great before they met again in April, saying: “Benjy Arthur is a player I worked really closely with in my time at Brentford. I really like him and rate him as a player.
"I don’t want to put much pressure on him, but he does remind me of a young Virgil van Dijk. He is a huge unit but also very mobile."