Some Celtic fans may view the international break as a chance to switch off from football; however, there have also been plenty of intriguing discussions during the last week surrounding the Hoops.
At this point in the season, it is only natural to look towards the summer transfer window, where Brendan Rodgers will likely reshuffle his squad by making some alterations in key areas.
The Irishman must bring a new goalkeeper into the building amid Joe Hart’s impending retirement; meanwhile, final decisions on loanees Adam Idah and Paulo Bernardo also require attention.
Nevertheless, one position the Bhoys may need cover that has been glossed over is central defence, and several reasons come to mind why this may be the case.
Rodgers has sparingly used Swedish defender Gustaf Lagerbielke since his move to Parkhead last summer. On the same token, Maik Nawrocki has encountered a number of fitness issues and has failed to nail down a regular starting spot at the back.
Despite his meteoric rise, Republic of Ireland international Liam Scales has yet to agree on a new contract. His current terms are slowly approaching their final 12 months, which may become a problem for Celtic.
Cameron Carter-Vickers is another individual who has succumbed to injuries this term, so it is fair to say investing in a new defender wouldn’t be a bad idea from our point of view.
Celtic could turn to Nathan Wood amid defensive uncertainty
What would you want in an ideal Celtic central defender? If Rodgers were to bring in reinforcements at the back, he’d be keen on someone who is young, progressive on the ball and has room to develop further under the Parkhead coaching set-up.
If you answered yes to any of these questions, Swansea City man Nathan Wood would rank highly in your estimation.
It may be worth exploring the potential of a deal to sign the 21-year-old, seeing as he could be available on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign, though his club retain the option to extend his deal by a further year [Transfermarkt].
Per the same outlet, the Middlesbrough-born man has played 25 times for Swansea in 2023/24, registering a solitary goal and helping the Jacks keep five clean sheets.
Nevertheless, his ability to progress play from deep should pique Celtic’s interest. Taking his exploits in the Sky Bet Championship this term as a yardstick, Wood has achieved a pass completion rate of 91.6% from an average of 69.54 balls attempted per 90 minutes across the last 365 days [FBRef].
Further analysis shows this puts him in the 98th percentile for this metric compared to his positional peers across the 14 leagues ranked below Europe’s elite five divisions. Looking at his progressive carries, the England Under-21 international manages 1.13 per league fixture.
Moreover, Wood has shown an elevated level of cognition in dangerous situations this campaign, carrying out around 2.6 clearances and performing 4.4 ball recoveries per match [Sofascore].
Standing at 6ft 2in, the Ingleby Barwick-born star has won two aerial duels as a median rate encompassing every Championship encounter, illustrating a base level of aggression required to succeed at Celtic [WhoScored].
Fabrizio Romano reported last year that Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were keeping a close eye on his performances last year, which is a marker of his potential to develop into a top-class central defender.
Wood has obvious areas to work on within his game; regardless, his physically imposing stature and ball-playing ability could appeal to Celtic if they are short at the back, depending on what transpires in the summer.
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