Youssouf Mulumbu’s loan options have been nonexistent so far, and you have to wonder why that’s the case.
Brendan Rodgers confirmed earlier this month that the summer signing would ideally be shipped out for six months. Mulumbu’s remit was to simply help out the team at a time of a mini-crises, and that’s been shown in his numbers this season.
So far, the big midfielder has only made three competitive appearances. Despite impressive individual performances at Kilmarnock and RB Salzburg, he looked a tad shaky against Leipzig. But considering he hadn’t played for over a month prior to it, you could understand why he would’ve been out of sync.
But the lack of interest in him from clubs up and down the UK is staggering.
This is a player who just needs an arm around the shoulder and a manager to put his trust in him. Everybody, for example, saw how dominant and bullish he was in the Kilmarnock midfield. It’s interesting that not even Killie have made an approach for another short loan stint.
Mulumbu would be a started for anyone else in Scotland
Mulumbu would do a solid job for any Premiership team in the country. The likes of Aberdeen, Hibernian, or even Hearts could do with a midfielder of his quality, and it would be a coup at that.
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This is a player with eight years of top English football on his CV at the likes of West Brom and Norwich City. After coming through the ranks at PSG, he has terrific pedigree after obtaining over 250 appearances down in England.
But despite all of that, there has still to be an official approach for him. It could be the case that the club are trying to play this quietly and shift him out without a fuss, but compare it to the interest in Lewis Morgan and it shows the differing level of speculation and interest between the two.
Or is this perhaps a case with Mulumbu’s fitness? He’s only made three appearances since leaving Kilmarnock. He’s hardly likely to be in peak condition, and perhaps this is what’s putting clubs off.
Regardless, this is a supremely talented footballer. The fact he hasn’t been snapped up temporarily is mind-boggling. Here’s hoping, however, that he can get a move he deserves before January ends.