Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers added to his left-back pool in the summer by bringing in Alex Valle on loan from Barcelona to challenge Greg Taylor’s hold over the position.
The latter is still understood to be the first choice at this moment in time. Taylor has made ten appearances for the Bhoys this season, registering three assists.
However, his positional counterpart has been impressive for the reigning Scottish Premiership in his opening innings. Peter Grant hailed Valle for his adaptation to life at Celtic, and it is hard to disagree that he hasn’t slotted into Rodgers’ plans with minimal fuss.
Four outings have yielded two assists for the loanee, including a viral role in Adam Idah’s goal against St Johnstone last month.
Both players have emerged as important members of the fold under Rodgers, but their situations will need clarified at some point between now and next summer.
Greg Taylor and Alex Valle’s Celtic situations
With time ticking on, there is still no clarification over Taylor’s contract situation at Celtic. The Scotland international could be available to discuss a pre-contract in January if no progress is made between now and the end of the festive period.
Now recognised as part of the experienced core that have brought a wealth of domestic trophies to Celtic Park, the 26-year-old is nearing the 200-appearance mark for the Bhoys, sitting on 183 outings where he has produced eight goals and 28 assists.
Rodgers wants Taylor to sign a Celtic extension, as he told the press last month: “He’s a fantastic player for us. How he makes that position work, how we want it to look, he’s first class. He knows we really want him to stay and hopefully, between his representatives and the club, we can organise that because he is a player that I really rate.”
In his competition for a place, Valle joined the Bhoys for a £1.3 million loan fee from Barcelona, but despite enjoying a bright start to life at the club, his agreement does not include an option to buy.
While the main focus for now will be establishing himself in Glasgow, he also added a year to his terms at his parent side before making the journey to Celtic.
Truthfully, it remains to be seen whether a permanent deal could be viable for Valle. It would likely be dependent on a willingness from all parties, though there is no guarantee that happens.
Celtic’s internal left-back pool could also hold value
Looking at the Bhoys’ internal left-back options, Celtic’s Matthew Anderson is at Admira Wacker on loan for the second time and scored against SV Stripfing earlier this month alongside fellow teammate Ben Summers in a 2-0 victory.
His 21st birthday is coming up next summer. Despite showing promising signs at the Hoops’ partner club, he is still yet to make his competitive first-team debut and it does feel unlikely he will come into the reckoning at this point, though stranger things have happened.
On the contrary, Mitchel Frame made his senior Celtic bow against Feyenoord last year and excitement was reverberating surrounding the 18-year-old’s potential after holding his own in the Champions League.
Nonetheless, he hasn’t been seen in the senior side since. Frame is under contract in Glasgow until 2026, and has made 13 appearances for Celtic B this term.
With Taylor and Valle’s futures not cut and dry, could either make a breakthrough next summer if progress isn’t made regarding either endeavour? Only time will tell.
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