Former Rangers right-back, Alan Hutton believes that Celtic would be a bit hasty in selling Boli Bolingoli if recent speculation is to be believed.
Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton reveals why he thinks Neil Lennon shouldn’t rush into getting grid of the summer signing just yet.
So what has Hutton said?
When asked about the rumours circulating that Lennon has given the green light for Bolingoli to be sold, Hutton said:
“He started off a little bit slow at the beginning, I wasn’t too sure but then he came onto a real game and he played really well.
“Athletic, strong, getting up and down the pitch – he was looking a real asset. Unfortunately, he got injured and things didn’t really go his way at the back end of the season.
“They’ve got a lot of competition. Celtic have got a lot of strength in depth and whether Neil Lennon’s looking at other options or whether he’s looking to trim the squad, just like all teams do at this time of the year.”
“I do believe he’s a good player but maybe they’re looking to trim the squad a little.”
So is Hutton correct?
He is correct in that Bolingoli made a slow start to his Celtic career, defensively anyway, but his performance at Ibrox in the first Glasgow Derby of the season in September proved that he is a more than capable performer at both ends of the park.
Lennon’s issue is that he has two £3million left-backs in Bolingoli and Greg Taylor with Jonny Hayes also capable of filling in, Hayes contract situation could be the biggest indication as to where the Belgian’s future lies.
Should Celtic cash in on Bolingoli?
Yes
No
After Lennon shifted to a 3-5-2 formation, it looked as though Bolingoli would be tailor made for the role on the left-hand side, however, Taylor has made the position his own following the former’s hamstring injury with five assists to his name in just 21 games.
Selling Bolingoli and retaining Hayes would be a sensible move by Lennon, having three players for one position is an unnecessary waste of resources and would free up money for somewhere else in the squad, it would also make a decent contribution to the transfer kitty as he looks to continue his side’s unprecedented domestic dominance without weakening his starting XI.