New a separate thread from the non matchday one.
Eboue pictured in Glasgow:
Thought Eboue is banned from football for not paying his former agent
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It’s Kouassi Eboue.
The horror and fear filled eyes we’ve all had when first seeing Glasgow.
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Bhoys, a snippet from my post on the Celtic non-match day discussion thread from mid December as it sets out our squad as it currently stands:
"Rodgers took over a very bloated and unbalanced squad and managed to offload a fair few last summer. But the squad’s still too big and there’s a bit of deadwood floating around. He’s mentioned on numerous occasions of his preference for a 20-man squad + goalkeepers so I’m just going to see what the numbers look like at present:
Keepers: Gordon, De Vries, Bailly, Fasan. (4)
Defenders: Lustig, Gamboa, Tierney, Izaguirre, Sviatchenko, Simunovic, Touré, Boyata, O’Connell, Ambrose. (10)
Midfielders: Brown, Bitton, Armstrong, Henderson, McGregor. (5)
Attacking Midfielders: Sinclair, Forrest, Rogic, Roberts, Mackay-Steven, Christie, Commons. (7)
Strikers: Dembélé, Griffiths, Ciftci. (3).
I think Celtic should try to offload 5 players in January (possibly Ambrose, Boyata or O’Connell, Bitton, Commons and Ciftci) and think we should try to sign a central midfield player and an attacking midfield player who can play centrally or wide."
I think the potential Eboue signing and the fact that Armstrong and McGregor have overtaken Bitton in the pecking order suggests the Israeli might be surplus to Rodgers’ requirements. He’ll probably stay until the summer unless there’s a buyer lined up. I’m fine with him moving on whenever.
Commons has joined Hibs on an emergency loan since my original post. That could conceivably be extended to the end of the season later this month and then he’ll leave what with his contract having expired. I don’t think anyone will pay a fee for him with 6 months of his contract left as he’s clearly surplus to requirements. Getting Hibs or someone else to pay a portion of his wages will be good enough.
There’s been interest in Ambrose from abroad and from Wolves apparently but he didn’t want to leave the UK last summer (or now) as he’s nearly met the requirements in terms of length of time working in the UK to allow him to become a permanent resident (or something like that). Like Commons, he’s out of contract in the summer so a loan deal to take him up to then might be the most realistic option (again with the other club contributing to wages).
Ciftci has been told he can leave and has been linked with Dundee United and various Turkish clubs. Boyata has been linked with a couple of Belgian sides, while O’Connell and Christie have been touted as potential loan targets for Kilmarnock.
Overall, I understand that Rodgers wants to sign 4 players before the first CL qualification ties in the summer - two midfielders, a centre back and a wide attacker. I’m not sure all of them will get completed in this window.
Excellent round up.
I’ve gone full circle on Amstrong and have also been very encouraged by McGregor of late, so Eboue should be enough in midfield for now.
Think we’re well stocked in the other areas as well. I’d get rid of Ciftci, GMS, Christie, Ambrose, O’Connell.
I wouldn’t mind seeing another winger come in this window, Roberts will be off in the summer and Forrest is very injury prone so we could do with having an option well settled in for next year.
Good point on needing another winger. I’d be happy to buy Roberts outright but the asking price would probably be too high. I’ve a feeling he sees his long term future in England too and there hasn’t been any quotes from our side or his to hint at a deal.
Horribly racist of you.
West Ham have bid £20m for Moussa Dembélé. I expect Celtic to turn down this derisory bid.
cc @mickee321
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Treble it & then Celtic will talk
Linked with a bosman deal for Henri Lansbury too.
Also linked with the new Simunovic from Dinamo Zagreb, 19 year old centre back Filip Benkovic.
Dinamo usually get top dollar for their young starlets so I doubt there’s much to this one.
That’s a “no” for me.
As well as the Croat, I saw a link to young French defender Jean-Kevin Duverne.
No as it don’t want him or a no as we have no chance of getting him?
Don’t want him. Seems like a style over substance, fancy dan to me.
Pot kettle black bandage?
And you dare to call me a terrorist,while you look down your guns,
When I think of all the deeds that you have done.
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What a coincidence!
I was listening to that while strolling up to Junior’s to buy a sandwich at lunchtime today.
BRENDAN RODGERS has revealed he wanted to sign ÂŁ2.8million Kouassi Eboue after watching TEN SECONDS of action.
Ivory Coast superkid Eboue, 19, has agreed to join Celtic from Russian outfit Krasnodar on a four-year deal.
Midfielder Eboue has joined Celts at their Dubai training camp as he waits on a work permit.
Hoops boss Rodgers said: “Within ten seconds you really see his talent. Eboue is one that the scouting team have been aware of for a while. Most coaches see something in a player that suits their way of working.
“But there are certain attributes in a young player you can see, and you get a good feeling about.
“Right now we’re just waiting for it to be done, waiting for the work permit to come through to complete the deal.
“But Eboue is certainly a player that is the level of player we want, one with a Champions League mentality.
“He’s very aggressive, he covers the ground, he’s got mobility, speed, big intensity, big pressure, and reads the game well for a young player.
“Tactically Eboue is very strong, he protects the middle of the pitch as I like it to be protected. And what he can do is he can pass the ball.
“He’s very swift going through the lines, going through people, and he plays it quickly. And he’s super hungry for this chance.
“I saw Eboue in Europa League games for Krasnodar and he is ready. He’s a big talent and this is a great chance for him, if he arrives on board and everything is good, to flourish.”
Rodgers, who was named Ladbrokes Manager of the Month for December, is also working on other signing targets this month.
But it’s unlikely Celts will complete any deals before they return home from Dubai.
Rodgers insists he will not be gutted if the transfer window closes without any more arrivals.
Rodgers added: “We have a few targets I want to see if we can get in, but if we don’t get anyone in January then there is no drama.”
Meanwhile, Celtic have been linked with a loan move for Liverpool defender Joe Gomez.