Reported Celtic target Ofir Marciano has all but confirmed he’ll be leaving Hibernian.
At the start of March, the Edinburgh Evening News suggested that Celtic were watching the stopper. With Marciano’s contract running out in the summer, there’ll be plenty of interest.
The Israeli international has 12 clean sheets from 27 Premiership games, only conceding 23 in total [Transfermarkt]. The impressive stopper’s side face at least 11 shots per 90 [WhoScored?], making his achievements all the more impressive.
Jack Ross will be gutted to lose a key man, but the ‘keeper has clearly made up his mind.
Ofir Marciano said [Not The Old Firm]:
“It’s not an easy decision for me. I have had lots of thoughts about it as Hibs has turned into a second home. I didn’t expect to be here for five years but football is a short career.
“You want to maximise your opportunities and at this stage in my career, I would like to try that. It is a really tough decision but it is something I have to do for myself and my family. It was important for me to be honest with the manager and the club as early as possible so they can get ready for the next season when I won’t be here.”
Ofir Marciano: a good option for Celtic
Even if Celtic spent seven figures on Marciano, it’d be decent business. The goalkeeper’s stats are staggering, while he passes the eye test with excellent command of his area and acrobatic stops. The Tartan Army know all about his prowess, watching him make save after save for Israel against Scotland.
On a free though? It’s as close to a no-brainer as it gets. He’d be an immediate upgrade on Scott Bain, while we don’t know what’s going on with Vasilis Barkas.
No, he doesn’t have the big-name appeal of Fraser Forster, or even David Marshall. But he’s a proven international and Scottish Premiership goalkeeper, who has performed an inordinate amount of shut-outs for a side who aren’t exactly 60s Inter Milan.
With Celtic looking to rebuild at great expense this summer, free options who can immediately slot into the first-team are surely worth looking at.
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