Jenz loan ending early an indication of Postecoglou’s aggressive transfer strategy

With Celtic’s first team squad consisting of some 45 players (up one after the club confirmed the signing of Hyeongyu Oh this morning) either plugging away at Lennoxtown or currently out on loan, it’s inevitable following the signings of Tomoki Iwata, Yuki Kobayashi, Ally Johnston and now Hyeongyu Oh, that some players would move on.

Leipzig’s German forward Timo Werner (L) and Celtic’s German defender Moritz Jenz vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions League Group F football match RB Leipzig v Celtic FC in Leipzig, eastern Germany on October 5, 2022.  (Photo by RONNY HARTMANN/AFP via Getty Images)

And according to Scott Burns at Scottish Daily Express, Moritz Jenz looks to be returning to his parent club Lorient in this transfer window with the likelihood of a further move to Germany (to play Schalke) for the player dubbed Mercedes by the Celtic support, with the Express reporting:

‘The German defender is on-loan from Lorient but is about to cut his Parkhead stay short. The loan deal was meant to be for the season, with a reported option to buy, but he will return to the French club in the January window. Jenz has grown frustrated with his lack of playing time at Celtic in recent weeks.’

‘The former Fulham youngster has possible options in Germany for the second half of the season. The 23-year-old was a regular in Ange Postecoglou’s side before the World Cup break but hasn’t started a game since.’

The return to fitness of Carl Starfelt alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers has knocked him down the pecking order. Postecoglou has also brought in Japanese defender Yuki Kobayashi and that has pushed Jenz further out of the picture.’

Jenz has made eleven top flight starts for Celtic and grabbed a couple of goals to boot – both scored in his first two appearances, including ‘that’ overhead kick against Kilmarnock.

Federico Valverde of Real Madrid is challenged by Moritz Jenz of Celtic during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Real Madrid and Celtic FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on November 02, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

However the return of Carl Starfelt from injury and Ange Postecoglou’s reluctance to rotate his central defensive partnership, who have yet to taste league defeat when partnered together, means further options to impress for Jenz are now limited. And with the arrival of Kobayashi and Iwata in this window – both of whom can play in central defence -it would appear Jenz’s chances of the first team football he was looking for in the summer will be just as rare at Celtic as they would have been with Lorient.

Jenz’s performances were initially solid when he arrived at Celtic, but as Celtic look to strengthen the squad to prepare for another crack at European football next season it appears Jenz was perhaps viewed as a stop-gap signing until the likes of Kobayashi could be secured on permanent deals.

 Moritz Jenz of Celtic FC controls the ball during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Celtic FC at The Marshall Jozef Pilsudski’s Municipal Stadium of Legia Warsaw on September 14, 2022 in Warsaw, Poland. (Photo by Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images)

Jenz was however a likeable lad and genuinely seemed to embrace the club during his short loan spell in Scotland, and if this report proves to be true, few would have anything but good things to say about Jenz’s short time with the club and all would wish him good luck in his future endeavours.

Niall J

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About Author

As a Bellshill Bhoy I was taken to my first Celtic game in the summer of 1987. It was Billy McNeill’s return to Celtic Park as manager and Celtic lost 5-1 to Arsenal . I thought I was a jinx, I think my Grandfather might have thought the same. It was the finest gift anyone ever gave me when he walked me through Parkhead's gates.

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