Celtic’s midfield is proving to be a real issue right now.
Callum McGregor has been the regular starter in the middle of the park, followed by Reo Hatate, as Brendan Rodgers has favoured Benjamin Nygren as the other option.
Not many expected Nygren to start for Celtic as a number eight when he arrived in the summer, but instead, compete for a wide position.
But perhaps the champions of Scotland should have looked closer to home when hunting for midfield players?
Peter Grant says Lennon Miller was ‘never’ going to replace Callum McGregor at Celtic
Lennon Miller could have signed for Celtic; there were talks, strong talks, especially during the January transfer window.
But Peter Grant explained on Go Radio that, had the Scotland international moved to Glasgow, he was ‘never’ going to play in front of McGregor.
“People are questioning Callum McGregor, I don’t question because of Callum’s success,” said Grant.
“One bad game, and all of a sudden, you are a bad player. I don’t think he (Miller) would have been a replacement for Callum. I don’t think that’s his position as a number six.
“I think he is a midfield player. He’s a guy who’s going to break into the box and get back into the midfield. Get into the box, and he has an eye for goal. I watched him for Udinese when he scored his first goal; that’s exactly what he would have done.
“Celtic were probably looking at it thinking, they have got Hatate and Bernardo. If you are going to replace them, you want to rejuvenate. That’s what you do then.
“You keep the two of them whilst he is learning that position, and that role. But everyone was saying, ‘he is a Callum McGregor replacement.’ I never saw that.
“Celtic’s best players, a lot of them came from a Motherwell or a Hibs, or whatever, through the years.”
Who is McGregor’s long-term replacement at Celtic?
McGregor will go down as one of Celtic’s best-ever players, but at the age of 32, he can’t do it all on his own.
Whilst Rodgers rotates his two number eights, he doesn’t do that with McGregor, and many think he should start going down that road.
But who is the long-term replacement for McGregor? There are probably only two players at Celtic right now, and they aren’t starting, who could put a case forward.
- Arne Engels
- Paulo Bernardo
- A youth player
- The transfer market
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
