Right Backs
Jeremy Toljan’s loan ended as Celtic lost Cristian Gamboa and Mikael Lustig, both leaving under freedom of contract. Lustig, the vice captain at the club for a number of years was a revered member of the squad; however, it was evident that we needed a replacement as Lustig looked lethargic getting forward and leaky at the back. It would’ve been brilliant if a loyal servant of the club were to be retained but Lustig made a decision for his family and he left with everyones best wishes.
Hatem Abd Elhamed arrived as our versatile right back recruit from Hapoel Be’er Sheva, some questioned whether he was a centre back or a defensive midfielder. Although, Elhamed has been utilised as what appears to be our first choice right back. The 28-year-old has impressed with his pace, defensive abilities and robust tackling. Playing through injury proves his desire to play for the cause – especially when replacing Mikael Lustig, a stalwart in the 8-in-a-row sides in the years before.
Anthony Ralston departed on loan to St Johnstone, a move that could be good for his development and either set him up for a future at Celtic or a chance to prove that he could be useful player for a club at this level.
The signing of Moritz Bauer on loan provides cover for Elhamed and the option to buy acts as an incentive for the player to give his all when called upon as a return to Stoke must be a haunting alternative. Bauer’s long throw gives Celtic another dynamic to explore in attack, something that we haven’t had before. A really awkward delivery that will have teams sweating.
In the youth department, the club also signed Dutch U19 Jeremie Frimpong from Manchester City to offer another prospect at right back.
Central Defenders
Celtic went into the summer with a recognised pairing of Jozo Simunovic and Kris Ajer. Dedryck Boyata left the club for nothing and joined Hertha Berlin, a year after Seville and Fulham sought the Belgian for £9 million. Benkovic returned to Leicester as the enigma that is Marvin Compper’s contract was terminated. In Boyata and Benkovic, we lost two first team quality defenders.
Three central defenders left the club whilst only one was signed. Christopher Jullien appeared to be one of Celtic’s top targets through the summer and a fee of £7million proved how highly he was rated by the club. Like Bolingoli, Jullien was criticised by sections of the press and support yet he answered them emphatically with a masterclass at Ibrox, giving an incredible display at the heart of the Celtic defence. Nir Bitton, a makeshift option, once again impressed at the back and could be an unlikely candidate to play a part in Celtic’s defence this season. Neil Lennon must surely be planning on offering Bitton a new contract over the next month or so.
Meanwhile, the club signed Irish U19’s star Lee O’Connor joined from Manchester United on a four-year deal. O’Connor is rated highly by United supporters and Irish youth coaches and offers versatility as he can be utilised across the backline. We also completed the signing of highly rated Norwegian youngster Leo Hjelde from Rosenborg.
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