OPINION
Celtic’s right-back issue is something that has bothered a lot of fans during the entirety of Brendan Rodgers’ reign at Parkhead, and this season it appears to be worse than ever.
Mikael Lustig’s form has been horrible and the fact that Cristian Gamboa cannot even seem to buy a game at the minute just shows what Rodgers thinks of the rarely-seen Costa Rica international.
Both Lustig and Gamboa are out of contract next summer and at the moment, it does not look as though either of them are set for an extension, so Rodgers may well be eyeing up replacements for them in either January or next summer.
One right-back that Celtic simply must look at is Borussia Dortmund’s Jemery Toljan, who could become a hero in Glasgow if Rodgers was able to lure him away from the Bundesliga.
Toljan, 24, was snapped up by Dortmund from Hoffenheim last summer, beating the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool [Sky Sports] to his signature.
The former Germany youth international impressed in his debut season with Dortmund, earning 23 appearances across all competitions while also adding one goal and a couple of assists.
A bout of flu towards the end of the campaign saw him sidelined for a while and he lost his place after that, but since the new season has kicked off, the right-back has become somewhat of an outcast at the Bundesliga club, failing to make any appearances.
Celtic need a right-back and jet-heeled Dortmund ace Toljan is surely the man to make Parkhead erupt with joy if Rodgers can sign him and bin off out-of-form senior player Lustig.
Toljan’s versatility also means that he could be a back-up to Kieran Tierney on the left if needed but having him on the right and Tierney on the left should really cause opposing teams problems with the raw pace and intelligent play on both sides of the pitch.
Toljan may also be a bit pricey, but with him not playing at all at Dortmund and the promise of European football, regular silverware and a first-team spot at Parkhead, he should be more than up for the move and that could cut down what the Hoops may have to splash out.