Bekhruz Karimov is a little-known right back who has shone at the World Cup this summer. At just 18, Celtic should be looking to sign a player who is valued around £350,000.
An Uzbekistan international, Karimov has already been capped four times for his country and made two appearances in this summer’s World Cup against Colombia and Portugal.
And while both appearances ended in defeat, Karimov’s FIFA stats show exactly why Celtic should be looking at the talented teenage right-back.
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Bekhruz Karimov’s World Cup stats should impress Celtic’s scouts
Despite losing all three World Cup fixtures, Karimov equipped himself well for Uzbekistan against Portugal and Colombia.
Over two World Cup matches, Uzbekistan averaged just 35% possession which makes the teenage sensation’s overall stats for the two fixtures from FIFA’s own data look very impressive.
- 94 touches
- 6 successful dribbles (75%)
- 6 tackles
- 3 interceptions
- 15 recoveries
- 13 defensive contributions
- 2 chances created
- 78.3% passing accuracy
- 16 duels won
Celtic fans will notice a distinct lack of assists and attacking threat over the three defeats but there is a huge caveat to that.
Karimov is exactly the type of player Celtic need
Against Portugal and Colombia, Uzbekistan faced 42 crosses and 289 final-third receptions, leaving Karimov with little chance to attack.
Karimov spent the whole tournament defending, winning 16 duels, making 13 defensive contributions and six tackles and yet, the youngster still managed to create two chances for his Uzbek teammates.
What is even more impressive is that despite not having the ball much, the 18-year-old still got 94 touches which shows that he was trusted by his teammates not to lose it whenever the Uzbeks had possession.
At Celtic, Karimov will spend more time in possession than out. And if he can produce the sort of numbers he has while facing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, João Félix, Pedro Neto and Luis Díaz on the world’s biggest stage, it is easy to see why Celtic should be taking a serious look.
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