Youssouf Mulumbu’s Celtic departure was unceremoniously announced by Neil Lennon yesterday.
Despite initially having another year left to go on his deal, the Congolese midfielder and the club decided enough was enough (Daily Record). It also comes as Mulumbu is in Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations.
During his one year at Parkhead, Mulumbu only managed three appearances. Two of those came in the Europa League, before he struggled to keep himself 100% fit in Glasgow.
Very quickly, Mulumbu was shipped back to Kilmarnock for a further six-month loan. Despite racking up double digits in terms of appearances, his time was always going to be up at Celtic. And, reacting to his departure on social media, here’s a look at what many of the Hoops faithful have had to say.
https://twitter.com/JamesPearson080/status/1145237152533483520
https://twitter.com/logandownieee/status/1145323997363625985
https://twitter.com/19jhodgkiss/status/1144982148404957185
Mulumbu’s Celtic departure opens opportunity for others
Mulumbu may not have worked out at Celtic. The competition was too great and the demands on the Hoops midfielders now is higher than ever. But he most certainly has his own attributes.
The Congolese star could do a job for just about any other side in Scotland. It will be interesting to see whether he goes back to Kilmarnock given that Steve Clarke is no longer the manager. But outside of that, he could easily slot into the Hearts or Hibernian starting XI respectively.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him stay in Scotland – a league that’s perfectly suited for the aggressive nature of Mulumbu’s game.
No supporter will ever truly know why Mulumbu couldn’t hack it here. Was it because he simply wasn’t good enough? Did he struggle with the extremely taxing nature of Celtic’s training regime? Was there simply too much squad depth for him to make much of an impact?
Lennon didn’t seem like he wanted to go into the situation much. Instead, he bluntly just told the press that the midfielder has left the club and that was that.
Supporters won’t get upset about this deal either. It’s one many will have expected to happen at some point, even if the timing was abrupt.
In any case, good luck to Mulumbu wherever he ends up. Hopefully, we can continue to see him ply his trade in Scotland.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
