OPINION
Celtic must make a swoop to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Jordon Mutch in the January transfer window as his loan deal at MLS club Vancouver Whitecaps nears expiry.
According to Sky Sports, the Canadian club have not taken up their option to sign the 27-year-old on a permanent basis, meaning that he will return to Selhurst Park next month amid doubts over his long-term future with the Eagles.
It is understood that Cardiff want to re-sign their former midfielder, who has been somewhat of a utility man in the USA, playing in a number of different roles in the Vancouver midfield.
He made 18 appearances in total for the Whitecaps, scoring two goals and supplying three assists as he played as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder, defensive midfielder and a right-sided winger.
Mutch is only 27 and has a lot to offer, but it does not seem as though he will be able to get much game-time at Palace due to the fact he was frozen out by the Premier League club before he joined Vancouver on loan.
That is why Celtic must swoop in to sign him because Brendan Rodgers is desperate for some extra bodies in his midfield.
The Hoops may be in a good run of form but Scott Brown, Youssouf Mulumbu, Eboue Kouassi, Olivier Ntcham and Nir Bitton have all been injured this season.
Brown’s contract expires at the end of the season and although he is likely to get a new deal, next season could be his last as a player at Celtic Park.
Mulumbu is in the same boat as his deal expires at the end of the 2019/20 season while there are question marks about whether Kouassi and Bitton are good enough to be long-term options in the midfield.
Mutch is certainly good enough with plenty of Premier League experience to his name and his versatility could be a real asset to the Bhoys if they sign him up in January.
He should be quite affordable to deal him only earning £28,000-a-week (Spotrac).
Celtic have to at least try and sign Mutch or a midfielder of his ilk in January. Rodgers will not want a repeat of the injury woes he has had to endure so far this season.