Celtic head coach Wilfried Nancy has already needed to cope with an terrible lot since he made the transfer from Columbus Crew to switch Brendan Rodgers within the dugout.
He misplaced his first 4 matches in command of the Scottish Premiership giants, together with the League Cup remaining to St Mirren, and at last picked up his first win in opposition to Aberdeen final weekend.
The French tactician has additionally needed to cope with shedding two of his wingers, Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha, due to the African Cup of Nations, which has left him short-staffed within the large areas.
Why Celtic must signal a brand new winger in January
With the January switch window across the nook, the Scottish giants ought to be wanting so as to add an alternative choice within the large areas to bolster the squad.
While the system is now a 3-4-2-1 with none ‘pure’ wingers, the wing-backs play very excessive up the pitch, like wingers, and the 2 quantity tens behind the striker also can really feel like wingers at occasions.
When Tounekti and Balikwisha return from worldwide responsibility, Nancy can have loads of choices at his disposal, however it’s the high quality of these choices that ought to come into query.
|
25/26 Premiership |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
11 |
7 |
|
Targets |
1 |
0 |
|
Minutes per aim |
667 |
N/A |
|
Key passes per recreation |
1.5 |
0.4 |
|
Massive probabilities created |
1 |
1 |
|
Assists |
0 |
1 |
|
Stats by way of Sofascore |
||
As you possibly can see within the desk above, the pair have mixed for one aim and one help in 18 appearances within the Premiership thus far this season for the Hoops, which is a reasonably dismal return in entrance of aim.
Because of this the membership ought to be trying to bolster their large choices within the January switch window by bringing in one other ahead who can supply extra high quality on the prime finish of the pitch.
While Celtic ought to look to signal a right-sided attacker to enhance on Balikwisha, who has been utilised on the proper and the left flank, they have already got an improve on Tounekti in ready at Parkhead.
The Celtic star who may be an improve on Sebastian Tounekti
In Might earlier this yr, Hoops ahead Jota suffered an ACL harm that was anticipated to maintain him out of motion for round 9 months, as much as February 2026, which signifies that he has not performed a single minute within the 2025/26 marketing campaign but.
Talking to supporters earlier this month, the Portuguese attacker stated that he thinks his restoration is “going the proper method“, which, hopefully, means that he’s on monitor to return in February.
If Jota is again and obtainable for choice in February, Nancy doesn’t have too lengthy to attend to have a superb large choice obtainable for choice, and one that will be a giant improve on Tounekti.
Celtic paid £8m to signal the large man from Rennes within the January switch window initially of this yr, bringing him again to Parkhead for a second spell, however he solely acquired to play 11 Premiership video games earlier than his harm.
In these 11 appearances, although, the previous Al-Ittihad attacker confirmed the sort of type that supporters beloved him for throughout his first spell, when he produced 25 objectives and 23 assists in two seasons, per Sofascore.
Jota scored 4 objectives, created three ‘large probabilities’, and registered two assists in seven begins within the league final season, per Sofascore, which signifies that he scored three extra objectives and produced twice as many assists as Tounekti and Balikwisha have managed mixed thus far this time period.
|
24/25 Premiership |
Jota per 90 |
Rank vs wingers |
|---|---|---|
|
xG |
0.48 |
High 8% |
|
Targets |
0.63 |
High 6% |
|
Photographs on the right track |
1.42 |
High 6% |
|
xA |
0.37 |
High 8% |
|
Assists |
0.32 |
High 17% |
|
Possibilities created |
1.89 |
High 25% |
As you possibly can see within the desk above, the Portuguese ace was some of the productive large gamers within the division within the 2024/25 marketing campaign, rating extremely amongst his positional friends in a bunch of goalscoring and inventive metrics.
This season, Tounekti is averaging 0.14 objectives and 0.30 xA per 90 for Celtic within the Premiership, per FotMob, which reveals that he has not been anyplace close to as productive in entrance of aim because the at present injured star was.
Jota, who pundit Michael Stewart described as a “game-changer” who “raises the bar”, is a confirmed performer who has been there and carried out it for Celtic throughout two spells, which signifies that he is kind of a secure choice for Nancy, so long as his harm doesn’t have a serious influence on his efficiency degree.
Subsequently, the 26-year-old wing wizard, who has not performed a single minute this season resulting from harm, can return as a giant improve on Tounekti and, because the winger Nancy at present lacks, when he returns to motion initially of 2026.
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