Celtic’s search for a central defender goes on.
Even though Celtic have signed Hayato Inamura and let Maik Nawrocki go out on the other end, it seems as though Brendan Rodgers is still looking for a centre-back with pre-season in full flow.
It signals that Inamura could be loaned out, added with Gustaf Lagerbielke also leaving for Braga, so it does open the door for another centre-back to come in.
Dutch defender Justin de Haas has been linked with a switch to Parkhead, but now another name has cropped up from France.
- READ MORE: What those inside Hannover 96 are saying about Celtic’s Maik Nawrocki makes interesting reading
Celtic and Besiktas are interested in Le Havre defender Étienne Youte Kinkoue
The next man seemingly on Celtic’s transfer wishlist is Étienne Youte Kinkoue. A central defender from Le Havre.
But the champions of Scotland aren’t the only ones keen on the 23-year-old’s services, as reported by French outlet L’Equipe.
It is claimed that Turkish giants Besiktas, who are managed by legendary striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, are keen on Youte Kinkoue, alongside ‘several European clubs’.
What’s interesting is that Youte Kinkoue’s contract expires in 2026, and Le Havre are seemingly wanting ‘£4.3 million’ for his services.
It also noted that the player had a ‘difficult season on a personal level’, but that hasn’t dampened interest in his services, with suitors also in Belgium, Germany and England.
Who is Youte Kinkoue and what is his style of play?
The Lyon-born player came through the youth ranks at Inter, but he didn’t make a senior appearance for the Italian giants.
He played over 50 games at the youth level at the San Siro before joining Olympiacos as a teenager, and once again, he didn’t earn a senior cap for the Greek giants.
That’s when the ball started to roll for Youte Kinkoue because Le Havre opened the senior door for him, and after 57 appearances for the French side, he is looking for a new chapter in his career.
The player stands at 6ft4in tall, and according to WhoScored, he has three qualities to his style of play.
- Indirect set-piece threat
- Does not dive into tackles
- Clears the ball out of defence often
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