Celtic should pull the plug on late signing of midfielder with 39% and 2.17 stats

Celtic should avoid a late move for Crystal Palace midfielder Justin Devenny as the statistics show some serious flaws to his game.

Martin O'Neill is pushing to make some additions to his squad before the Scottish transfer deadline passes on Thursday.

He has been targeting another midfield signing in the latter stages of the window after Mika Baur arrived in wake of Arne Engels' move to West Ham.

Celtic's plans are being accelerated by the imminent closing of the transfer window in England on Tuesday night, with Palace man Devenny a known target.

Reports have stated that the Hoops are eyeing the 22-year-old on a loan deal, while the Eagles are keen to let him go permanently as he is in the final year of his contract.

A deal may well be sorted out in the next few hours, but his poor Premier League stats from last season should force Celtic into a rethink of their interest.

Justin Devenny is not the kind of player Celtic need to sign in midfield

Devenny hails from Irvine in North Ayrshire, and he came through Kilmarnock's youth system but never made a senior appearance for the club.

He joined Palace in 2023 after a short spell at Scottish League One side Airdrieonians, and initially went into their under-21 side before becoming a first-team regular in 2024-25

Devenny made 21 Premier League appearances under Oliver Glasner last season, scoring once as he was used in various positions across the midfield and at wing-back.

While Celtic are after a strong holding midfielder to anchor their team this season, Devenny's stats paint him as anything but that kind of player.

The 22-year-old had a pass completion rate of 73.1 per cent in the English top flight last term, which ranks in the bottom 11 per cent for attacking midfield players across the division.

He created just 0.8 chances per 90 minutes, completed 0.34 successful dribbles per 90 and won just 39 per cent of his ground duels across the season.

He ranked relatively highly for tackles and clearances per 90, but was also dribbled past at an alarmingly high rate of 2.17 times per 90.

Devenny is not the man that Celtic need to sign, and their efforts should be focused elsewhere as windows across the world rapidly draw to a close.

Are Celtic looking at other midfielders?

Celtic's search for a new midfielder has been well-documented, particularly with concerns over their budget following their shock Champions League playoff exit.

They have chased Torino's Gvidas Gineitis for several weeks, and reports of a late move have emerged in the last 24 hours.

The Scottish Sun have claimed that Celtic were locked in talks with Torino over a deal throughout Monday night, and they are believed to be advancing in a deal.

Gineitis would cost the Hoops more than Devenny, but would surely be a better addition considering his experience in Serie A.