With reports breaking this morning that Celtic have interest in two new midfield targets, the ensuing clamour to find out more about them throws up some thought provoking findings. Both players are in the correct age, price and general bracket of what we at Celtic are looking for. Both Vinicius Souza and Kevin N’Doram have the potential for plenty re-sale value considering their ages and room for improvement.
First up, Souza. The player has been directly compared to recent Roma signing, Nemanja Matic, as reported by Record Sport. In an interview with Goal, the former Benfica – and now Fenerbache boss – Jorge Jesus, viewed Souza in the same mould as Matic who has went on to have an illustrious career playing for both Man United and Chelsea along the way.
Strong in the tackle, athletic and with a good eye for a pass, the Brazilian shares a lot of similar attributes to that of the big Serbian enforcer. Something that has been sadly lacking from that area of the pitch for Celtic since the days of Victor Wanyama is power and dig. It seems as if we wouldn’t be shy of any of this if we were to snap up Souza from Lommel. Amassing 10 bookings and one red card in Belgium last season, it would seem there is no shortage in aggression from Vinicius.
Take a look for yourself at the former Flamengo man’s skills…
Kevin N’Doram is the other name being connected to the club via Stephen McGowan of the Scottish Daily Mail. N’Doram is another beast of a defensive midfielder with a massive frame that makes him a powerful force in the middle of the park for Metz. The player also comes from a footballing family, with his father, Japhet N’Doram playing as a striker for both Nantes and Monaco in Ligue 1. N’Doram junior can also play in central defence, having been used there previously by his current club side. With Celtic’s recent history with French players, could we perhaps see another find their way to the hallowed turf of Parkhead?
The only questions I have are regarding their ownership details and injury record.
Firstly, Souza, as a lot of South American players are, is part-owned by various parties – making it a tricky obstacle to negotiate sometimes. For instance, will his agents or representatives play games with the Hoops if they do get him to the club? Always mooting him for moves away and the like. You have heard of the horror stories before. Carlos Tevez was one such high-profile star that was third-party owned and he was encouraged to leave Manchester United to go to their city rivals.
With N’Doram, it is a report from Homme Du Match that has raised an eyebrow. The report back in May stated that Celtic were tracking the midfielder as his side Metz had been relegated to Ligue 2 and this has caused him to reassess his options. The article stated that the Bhoys would need to pay between €2-3 million for his services – but also revealed he has been injured quite a lot recently. Celtic should tread carefully with this deal if he has suffered successive injuries. We have been purged and plagued by ailments of all different forms for years now. There’s no point in adding a main starter to the team, only for him to see very little match time because of hours on the treatment table.
FC Metz – Exclu : Kévin N’Doram vers le Celtic Glasgow ? https://t.co/n8WiKE8XgD #FCMetz #Celtic ⬇️
— Homme Du Match (@Homme_Du_Match) May 26, 2022
Hopefully, Ange will have done his thorough checks before committing to signing any of the two players linked with us this morning. His judgement has been spot on so far, but even the best in the game can make small oversights at times that can have repercussions. Having said that, I would trust the big man with my life in all honesty and know he will make the right moves this summer.
Paul Gillespie
