When news emerged that Celtic were reportedly interested in Zinedine Ferhat, it was eyebrow-raising. And not because the guy isn’t a good player.
Yesterday, FootMercato linked Ferhat with the Hoops. A right-winger with 13 caps for Algeria, the Nimes Olympique man is 28 years old.
Not exactly a pensioner, is he? However, it’s quite a leap in terms of the profile of player linked with Celtic over recent seasons. Normally, the Bhoys are linked to some promising talent from Europe or further afield, with bags of potential. Someone that can be moulded into a top player, and sold on. Think van Dijk, Ajer, Wanyama and so on.
Instead, though, Postecoglou hasn’t been afraid of approaching players towards their peak years. Look at some of the signings this season; Carl Starfelt is 26, Kyogo is the same. Joe Hart, at 34, is easily the oldest player we’ve signed in some time. Part of the club of players aged 26 is Giorgos Giakoumakis, while James McCarthy is now 31.
Contrast that with previous transfer windows. Barring the loans of Shane Duffy and Diego Laxalt, the oldest player Celtic signed was 26-year-old Vasilis Barkas [Transfermarkt].
The year before, the outliers were Hatem Abd Elhamed and 26-year-old Christopher Jullien. If you aren’t taking into account loans, every player we signed was 25 or under, including Jeremie Frimpong and Greg Taylor.
A potential move for Ferhat, then, is more than a little intriguing.
Does potential move for 28-year-old Zinedine Ferhat signal a shift in thinking at Celtic?
Don’t get us wrong, this would be a good move, as my colleague John McGinley illustrated yesterday. But it’d be very much a now signing, who wouldn’t exactly have significant resale value in the future. Out of contract this summer, he’d be a bargain.
Especially considering his recent seasons. In Ligue 1 last year, he scored 6 and set up 10 [Transfermarkt]. If there is a way to do this sooner, it’s worth considering. What with Karamoko Dembele and James Forrest struggling for fitness, and Liel Abada the only out-and-out right-wing option we have fully fit.
But it’s certainly a bit of a departure. Especially in attacking positions. Celtic signing an attacker over 26 would be more than slightly unusual. Typically, young attackers command the highest fees for a club our size, provided they make the requisite progress. Odsonne Edouard is the most obvious recent example.
Ange has signed young players, of course he has. Loanee Jota, the aforementioned Abada, the likes of Shaw and Urhoghide, all youthful. But he’s also tended to go after players Celtic wouldn’t typically have gone for over the last decade or so.
That shows a real focus on winning in the short-term. Perhaps, while lucrative as it was, Celtic could have benefitted from this kind of thinking in seasons past. Our squad in 20-21 was, in large parts, a misshapen collective of players with differing ages, ambitions and motivations.
Perhaps this Zinedine Ferhat chat is nothing more than speculation. Even then, though, it drives at an interesting attitude. Should Celtic follow through on the reported interest, it would posit some interesting questions about transfer policy at the club.
Read more: The brilliant much-changed Celtic XI we could see Ange unleash in next match
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