Last week it was reported by Australian outlet The World Game that Celtic were interested in extending the loan deal of Daniel Arzani, which is currently due to expire at the end of the current season.
As we know, Manchester City prospect Arzani suffered a horror injury last October on his Celtic debut which ruled him out of the entire 2018/19 campaign.
Since then he’s still not returned to fitness nor found a place in Neil Lennon’s team, with time quickly running out on him ever making an impact at Celtic Park.
However, the outlet claim he is now targeting a Boxing Day return and that staff at Celtic think highly enough of him to make a move on extending his loan.
Arzani is said to be keen on signing up for a longer period, eager to prove he has what it takes to bounce back from injury and shine in the Scottish top-flight.
Stacked position
Currently Celtic have plenty of options on the wing, so quite where Arzani would fit in if the deal goes through would be interesting.
If there is a further investment in his future, it’d likely be with a view to the 20-year-old getting game time, potentially pushing others such as Scott Sinclair, Marian Shved and Lewis Morgan down the pecking order.
With Mohamed Elyounoussi and James Forrest playing so well this season and Lennon even utilising others like Ryan Christie in wide areas, something will have to give.
It’s true that Sinclair is unlikely to be here beyond this season, but there’d still be excess and it’s hard to see a player like Morgan getting the game time he needs to maintain his status as a Scotland international.
Another loan move best?
Morgan arrived at Celtic Park from St Mirren last summer but has failed to convince both Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon he can be trusted enough to get regular starts in the first-team ahead of his teammates.
The winger hasn’t exactly been posted missing this season, making 13 appearances. However, only five of them have come as starts, the last of which came almost two months ago in the League Cup win over Partick Thistle.
Last January he was sent out on loan to Sunderland and as another transfer window looms, another temporary exit seems like a sensible choice when it comes to his development.
An obvious destination
One club that Morgan could be valued at is Hibernian, especially after the recent appointment of Jack Ross.
The former Sunderland and St Mirren man has worked with the player extensively and helped him find his best form when still playing in the Scottish Championship.
It was that form that helped convince Celtic to sign him in the first place. In the 2017/18 season he scored 18 goals and assisted 13 times (Transfermarkt), helping the Buddies win promotion to the top-flight.
Ross of course also brought the 23-year-old to the Stadium of Light last season.
Morgan recently waxed lyrical about his coaching abilities, shortly after he joined Hibs.
He told The Daily Record: “He was massive for me. I was playing regularly for St Mirren when he arrived but he helped bring my game on. It was really that last season under him where I really kicked on and caught people’s eyes. I owe him a lot.”
Loans for previously struggling Celtic stars like Christie have shown the benefits of what regular Scottish Premiership action can do for one of our players. Lennon clearly sees something in the player or wouldn’t keep including him in match squads.
Ross could well be the right man to help the Hoops attacker breathe new life into his career.
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