In the 5th instalment of his highly successful scouting reports, our resident Head Scout wee_od turns his attention to the defence
In the 5th instalment of his highly successful scouting reports, our resident Head Scout wee_od turns his attention to the defence…
Videos of all wee_od’s scouting targets can be found in our Forum.
It’s defender time again!
Most of these defenders may be fairly unknown to a lot of people but that’s what we need to look out for in order to get a bargain. The first of these players is still young but has loads of potential to go onto bigger things. The rest of my targets are that little bit older – having successfully cemented their place at their respective club sides and are also settled in their positions. All of these players either have been or currently are part of their respective national squads.
First up is Partizan Belgrade’s 22-year-old, 6ft 2in, Marko Jovanovic. A central defender who can also operate very well at Right Back. Jovanovic has been part of the Serbia U21 squad and is likely to make the step up to the full national squad very soon. Jovanovic has everything a defender needs to be a success; speed, strength and he is also good in the air. All he needs is his opportunity to show just how good he can be. Valued at around £1M – £2M, but with only 18months left on his current contract and experience of Europe already on his CV, he is exactly the sort of versatile defender Celtic could be doing with.
The second player is Polonia Warsaw’s 25-year-old, 6ft 2in, Tomasz Jodlowiec. A central defender who can also be used as a defensive midfielder – always a great option to have and one we’ve not had since Johan Mjallby was gracing the hoops. Tomasz Jodlowiec is strong, quick, good in the air and also has good technical ability. He has become a key member of his team’s defence and his ability has been recognized by Poland at international level. Jodlowiec has 2 years left on his current contract and is valued at around £1M – £1.5M. This may not sound like a lot of money but we all know that the Celtic board will not spend much money on a player for this position! However, a key possibility with this player, is that his club are looking at taking Zaluska, could a swap deal be realistic?
Third on my list is IFK Goteburg’s 24-year-old, 6ft 1in, Icelandic international defender Ragnar Sigurdsson. Sigurdsson is strong, quick, good in the air, has good vision and is a great tackler. He is comfortable with the ball at his feet too and is not shy in taking the ball for a walk up to the other end of the pitch. Sigurdsson was close to moving to Bordeaux but opted to extend his stay in Sweden at that time. His contract runs out in 6 months time and that could see interest in the promising young defender intensify. Valued at around £1M-£1.5M, he would not break the bank and would obviously be available for less considering his contract situation.
The final defender on the list, for now, is a Right Back. Mikael Lustig is a 24-year-old Swedish international. At 6ft 2in, he is not the sort of Right Back to get caught out by high balls into the box – something that has plagued our fullbacks in recent years and cost us too many cheap goals! Playing for Rosenborg since 2008, Lustig is a very pacey Right Back and that ensures he is always up with play. He loves to attack, is good with both feet and if he gets space to shoot after cutting inside, he will take the shot. With 5 goals and 6 assists last season, his ability to attack from the Right Back position is unquestionable. His crossing ability and his ability to read the game well also make him a very good Right Back. His value varies, some say £1M-£2M while others say £2M-£3M….either way, he appears to be a class defender and is equally good in attack. One slightly better piece of news on his market value is that his contract runs out in 12 months, this could leave room for negotiation over the price!
wee_od – Vital Celtic Head Scout
I hope someone at Celtic is paying attention to a few of the players wee_od has identified…
Join the Vital Celtic Forum today…it’s easy, it’s fun…and you also have the chance to get YOUR views published…so, what are you waiting for Bhoys and Ghirls?
