Preston North End centre-back Ben Davies has been hailed by local media as the Celtic speculation refuses to go away.
Celtic were first linked with Davies back in the summer, with the Championship defender’s contract entering its final 12 months. The Hoops were said to be interested in a pre-contract for the Englishman [The Sun].
However, Celtic are still said to be keen along with Premier League sides and interest from the continent [Daily Mail].
And he’s had another fine performance in a real productive season this afternoon. He was part of a Preston side that managed to keep a clean sheet vs Reading, and local outlet Lancs Live certainly enjoyed his performance:
“Just oozed class in everything he did. Dealt with Joao well, put in two or three crucial tackles, picked the right pass and option when looking to bring it out of defence. Looks like he’s breezing through the game in second gear at times. Very good.”
Ben Davies signing would be ideal so long as a new Celtic manager signs it off
When you watch Davies in action, this assessment isn’t wrong. He’s extremely comfortable in possession and isn’t just a no-nonsense centre-back either. He’ll try to pick a pass instead of going for Hollywood balls (*cough* Duffy *cough*).
As well as that there’s dominance to him in the air. He has a strong build and uses it well. This is something you could argue we haven’t seen enough from the likes of Chris Jullien.
For me, any agreement for Davies should have to be signed off by a new manager. Neil Lennon should not be allowed to make any more acquisitions. His days here are numbered, even if there is a decision in place to end this misery at the end of the season.
But that won’t be the case. Lennon will likely still get the centre-back he’s after. And Davies looks like the ideal candidate after we missed the boat on Mark McKenzie and Filip Benkovic respectively.
In the last two weeks alone we’ve seen dreadful mistakes from Shane Duffy against the likes of Hibernian and Livingston respectively. If we had made a move for a centre-back earlier, these slip-ups may not have happened.
And as we enter the final week of the transfer window, Davies looks a decent option if Lennon does get one final signing in.
In other news, a Celtic legend has pinpointed two fine Hoops performers as he delivered his Lennon verdict.
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