Celtic are reportedly close to completing a deal for Jeremy Toljan, according to Fusball Transfers.
The deal would help the Hoops end a long-running problem of a lack of quality at right-back. Considering the form of both Mikael Lustig and Cristian Gamboa, this is a deal Celtic could seriously do with getting over the line.
With the transfer window closing tomorrow night, fans have consistently wanted a right-back this month. Brendan Rodgers has constantly been asked about it, and has encouraged the board to spend money on the position.
Yet, a deal for Toljan could be about to be done very soon. And it also has a notable clause in it too according to the source.
Celtic reportedly don’t have any option to buy in the deal. This move appears to be a flat-out six-month spell before he heads back to Germany hopefully a better player.
Toljan has been limited to no games at all this season. That’s because the form of Lukasz Piszczek has kept him well out of the side this term. With Borussia sitting six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, you can see why Lucien Favre hasn’t been keen on changing things up.
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No option to buy isn’t necessarily a bad thing
But the no option to buy can be looked at both ways.
On one hand, it means Celtic are going to be in the same position in the summer. With Lustig and Gamboa’s contracts up, it’s not unthinkable both could be gone. That would leave just Anthony Ralston at the club as the only recognised right-back, which would mean Celtic would HAVE to act.
But, what it does do, is give the club a further six months to scout what’s out there. It allows Brendan Rodgers and Lee Congerton to look for better deals, with January a notoriously difficult market.
Everyone would’ve wanted the club to have sorted the right-back issue out permanently in this window. After all, it was one of the key objectives when the new year arrived.
But so long as Toljan does the business for six months and helps lead us to eight-in-a-row, Celtic can afford to wait until the summer.
The main concern was keeping Lustig out for the rest of the season. He’s far too error-prone these days, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he left at the end of the season.
But this appears to be just a temporary move regarding Toljan. A deal that can help all parties involved in the short-term, before our more permanent right-back hopefully arrives in the summer.