Why allowing a loan exit for Stephen Welsh could be shrewd from Celtic

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Celtic defender Stephen Welsh could end up leaving to seek regular first-team football this summer away from Parkhead.

According to reports, KV Mechelen are ‘keen’ to take the 24-year-old on loan for the forthcoming campaign, presenting a potential opportunity for the Lennoxtown graduate to get a taste of European football.

Welsh has made 66 appearances for Celtic during his senior career, registering four goals and one assist across all competitions. Nevertheless, only 14 came last season in a period where he was hampered by injury for the most part [Transfermarkt].

Inevitably, this has led to the former Scotland Under-21 international slipping down the pecking order. Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales are undisputedly Brendan Rodgers’ first-choice pairing at the moment, which may make a temporary switch a viable option for all parties.

Why Stephen Welsh leaving Celtic on loan could work

Firstly, Welsh has suffered a series of injury problems that have prevented him from ever really gaining a regular run in the side. Over the last three seasons, he has made 44 appearances for Celtic, which isn’t an enormous number when factoring in the Bhoys’ extensive schedule.

With his footing down the pecking order, moving to Belgium or elsewhere could give him the platform to establish himself as a preferred choice central defender, something that could be beneficial to the Hoops for two reasons.

Simply put, regular minutes would increase his transfer value, provided he were to play well in new surroundings. Furthermore, Welsh still has scope to develop, and would return to Parkhead a more well-rounded player.

Parting ways with the defender on a permanent deal may be a possibility, it remains to be seen, but his homegrown status is a valuable commodity when it comes to squad quotas for Europe, a reality of modern-day participation on the continent.

Granting him a year of experience being exposed to a different footballing style could boost his chances of cutting it as a trusted lieutenant of Rodgers further down the line while enabling the Bhoys to retain his services as a club-trained player, when he were to return.

If not, he would have increased his value to other clubs in the market for a talented defender, making this a potential win-win for Celtic.