OPINION
Celtic must try and sign Southampton centre-back Maya Yoshida next summer if Dedryck Boyata ends up leaving the club, as his departure will leave them short of centre-back options.
Filip Benkovic’s loan spell will expire in the summer where upon he will return to Leicester, and if Boyata ends up leaving the club like Chris Sutton has predicted, Brendan Rodgers will be extremely short of centre-backs – a worst case scenario basically.
Southampton’s Yoshida could be just the answer if Boyata does leave.
The 30-year-old has really struggled for game time this season under manager Mark Hughes, with only two Premier League and two Carabao Cup appearances to his name in this campaign.
He would no doubt be looking to seek out more first team opportunities elsewhere, and moving to Celtic could just provide him with that – especially if Sutton is proved right in his prediction.
A player with his type of experience would walk straight into Rodgers’ team in the summer thanks to his incredible knowledge of the top-flight – even if he would have to adjust to a different playing style in Scotland.
Yoshida has made 132 appearances in the Premier League in his career so far and he has been key for the Saints in the past, but his future in England now looks limited if Hughes is denying him the chance to play.
He is on £50,000-a-week [Spotrac] at the moment which is a wage that the Hoops are more than capable of matching, as well as his possible price tag.
Sutton wrote in the Daily Record that Boyata could be leaving in the summer if the club receives the right offer, meaning Celtic will be in the market for more centre-backs – and the fans would no doubt be drooling at the thought of having such an experienced defender joining their ranks in the summer.