The January transfer window is open, and Celtic already have their first new face through the door.
Celtic have signed Julian Araujo on-loan from Bournemouth to aid Wilfried Nancy’s struggling backline, but should he also look closer to home?
Maik Nawrocki was loaned by Celtic in the summer, after he failed to earn regular minutes under the now-departed Brendan Rodgers.
That’s why Nawrocki opted to join Hannover 96 on a season-long loan deal, as Charlie Mulgrew and Frank McAvennie discussed the centre-back’s situation.
- READ MORE: What the perfect Celtic XI could look like if Wilfried Nancy gets his dream transfer window
Should Celtic recall Maik Nawrocki in January?
Should Celtic recall Maik Nawrocki from Hannover 96 in January?
The interesting thing is that Nawrocki is playing in a back three for Hannover 96, so he wouldn’t have to adapt much if he were to return to Celtic.
Nonetheless, both Mulgrew and McAvennie want the Polish defender back in Glasgow, as Celtic continue to lose under Nancy.
McAvennie explained how Nawrocki was ‘outstanding’ during the little time he got at the champions of Scotland, including how he is a ‘proper defender’ and that’s something that is needed right now.
Mulgrew stated on Go Radio: “That’s a good shout (on Nawrocki returning to Celtic in January), him or Welsh. I totally forgot about Nawrocki’s. That’s not a bad shout.”
McAvennie shared on Let Me Be Frank Podcast: “You know what I think of Nawrocki. I would bring him back. I would bring him back and say, ‘Look, come back. Clean sheet.’
“He played seven games in a row, and he was outstanding. He got Man of the Match four times. I just like him. He is no-nonsense. He reminds me of big Johan Mjallby. He would just go, and when he won the ball, he could pass it.
“I just think he is a proper defender. It’s something we need.”
Tell us who the perfect signings for each position would be
How has Nawrocki rated at Hannover 96?
It was actually a slow burner for Nawrocki at his new club. Hannover 96 are a big club in Germany, but they are struggling in the second-tier.
Their aim is simple: to earn promotion back to the Bundesliga, so Celtic’s loanee walked straight into a pressure cooker.
Unfortunately for the hard-hitting defender, injury and sitting on the bench meant that he didn’t earn his first set of minutes until October.
That’s when the games started to rack up for Nawrocki, including earning himself three assists whilst playing in a back three, but he is back in the treatment room with a muscle issue.
- Games: 6
- Total minutes: 446
- Assists: 3
- Aerials won: 3.8 per game
- Tackles: 1.2
- Interceptions: 2.2
- Clearances: 6.5
- Blocks: 1.3
- Average passes: 57.5
- Key Passes per game: 1
- Passing accuracy: 89.9 %
- Man of the Match: 1
- WhoScored rating: 7.51
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