Celtic can strike gold with younger gem who’s dominant & pacey

Brenden Rodgers made a shock return to Celtic in the summertime of 2023 for a second spell within the dugout at Parkhead after Ange Postecoglou left to hitch Tottenham Hotspur.

The Northern Irish supervisor, who had managed Leicester Metropolis in England after leaving the membership in 2019, loved a profitable first season again on the membership within the 2023/24 marketing campaign.

Celtic went on to win the Scottish Premiership title beneath the previous Liverpool head coach and clinched the SFA Cup with a last-gasp objective from Adam Idah towards Rangers within the last at Hampden Park.

The board then determined to again the supervisor in the summertime switch window in 2024, as they swooped to make a number of big-money additions to the squad.

Celtic first smashed their switch file to finish the £9.5m signing of Idah from Norwich Metropolis on a everlasting deal, eclipsing the £9m that was spent on Odsonne Edouard in the summertime of 2018.

That file didn’t final lengthy, although, because the Scottish giants swooped to signal Belgium worldwide Arne Engels from Augsburg for a price of £11m, with the Hoops doubtlessly hoping that each gamers will go on to be offered for much more sooner or later.

Celtic’s high ten gross sales

The Premiership champions have a wealthy historical past of cashing in on proficient younger gamers after serving to them to develop and enhance throughout their time on the pitch in Glasgow.

Jota, who lately returned to Parkhead on a everlasting deal from Rennes, is an efficient instance of that within the present squad, as he left to signal for Al-Ittihad for large cash in the summertime of 2023, shortly after Rodgers returned to the membership.

As you’ll be able to see within the desk above, solely Matt O’Riley has been offered for more cash than Jota was, after the Danish midfielder’s transfer to Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Bhoys will now be hoping that Engels and Idah can go on to attain big success on the pitch for Celtic within the seasons to return, which may then entice curiosity from elsewhere, and that would result in big-money strikes away from the membership.

They might, nonetheless, look again at a number of the charges that they obtained for some gamers and really feel that they might have gotten extra out of these offers, given what they’ve achieved since being in Glasgow, with Virgil van Dijk being one instance of that.

Virgil van Dijk’s hovering market worth

Celtic swooped to signal the Dutch central defender from Groningen for a reported price of £2.6m in the summertime of 2013, and he went on to be a rock on the again for the Scottish giants.

The 6 foot 5 colossus went on to attain 15 targets in 115 appearances in all competitions, regardless of solely being on the membership for 2 seasons, and received two Scottish Premiership titles.

Neil Lennon signed van Dijk for the Hoops and went on to say that the central defender had “tempo, composure” and “physicality”, with all of the attributes to thrive on the high stage.

The Netherlands worldwide was, as aforementioned, offered for £13m in the summertime of 2015, as Southampton swooped in to safe his companies.

His worth continued to skyrocket, nonetheless, as Liverpool ultimately signed him from the Saints initially of 2018 for a staggering price of £75m – a price that was rapidly repaid along with his performances of their 2019/29 Premier League title-winning marketing campaign.

As you’ll be able to see within the desk above, the large Dutchman offered a colossal presence on the again for Jurgen Klopp, dominating opposition attackers and providing a objective menace from set performs.

Rodgers may, now, hit the jackpot by unearthing his personal model of van Dijk at Parkhead by serving to academy graduate Dane Murray to lastly fulfill his potential on the membership.

Why Dane Murray may very well be Virgil van Dijk 2.0

The Scotland U21 worldwide first made his breakthrough within the first-team throughout Ange Postecoglou’s first season on the membership, as he made his debut on the age of 17 within the Champions League qualifiers for the 2021/22 marketing campaign.

Murray made his first-team debut off the bench towards FC Midtjylland within the first leg earlier than he began the second leg and performed your complete 120 minutes of the 2-1 defeat in extra-time.

As you’ll be able to see within the desk above, the 6 foot 4 colossus made a robust impression on his full debut with a dominant efficiency towards the Danish aspect, profitable 79% of his 14 duels, however then needed to bide his time as Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Stafelt established a partnership beneath Postecoglou.

The Scottish titan, nonetheless, then suffered an ACL damage that stored him out for a part of the 2022/23 season and everything of the 2023/24 marketing campaign, which stunted his improvement.

Murray was despatched out on mortgage to Queen’s Park within the Championship for the primary half of this season and received 64% of his aerial duels in 17 league matches, earlier than being recalled by Rodgers.

The 21-year-old ace got here on towards Aston Villa within the Champions League on the finish of January after which began and performed the complete 90 within the 5-0 win over Raith Rovers within the SFA Cup final weekend.

After the wholesome win over Rovers, Rodgers hailed Murray as a “actually proficient” centre-back with “good tempo”, while additionally hailing his 6 foot 4 top and his capacity to play out from the again.

The Celtic academy graduate is just like van Dijk in that sense, as he’s additionally a towering presence at centre-back with nice restoration pace and talent on the ball, and he nonetheless has loads of time left to develop and enhance on the age of 21.

Rodgers additionally lauded the teenager’s potential and the qualities he affords on the pitch, saying: “I actually suppose that he could be a actually high participant. “[He had] an actual problem when it comes to accidents. “You see him now out on the pitch – his energy, his pace, his dominance, & he can play soccer.”

The Celtic academy graduate is just like van Dijk in that sense, as he’s additionally a towering presence at centre-back with nice restoration pace and talent on the ball, and he nonetheless has loads of time left to develop and enhance on the age of 21.

Due to this fact, Rodgers may hit gold with Murray if he can slowly combine him into an everyday function within the first-team, to assist him fulfill his potential and go on to be a van Dijk-esque determine on the coronary heart of the Hoops defence for a few years to return.