OPINION
Celtic must launch a bold swoop to sign Tottenham winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou in the January transfer window after it was reported that the Premier League side are willing to listen to offers for the 23-year-old.
According to the Daily Mail, Spurs could sell Nkoudou next month in a major January firesale that could net the North London club £75million.
Nkoudou’s potential sale is unlikely to contribute much to that number as when he joined Tottenham from Marseille in 2016, he only cost Spurs £11million and his value is bound to have decreased since then due to his lack of game-time.
The former France Under-21 international has not made a single Premier League appearance for Spurs this season and it looks as though his time at the club is up judging by the latest claim by the Daily Mail, and that is why Celtic need to have a go at signing the jet-heeled winger next month.
Brendan Rodgers doesn’t really have many options on the left-wing other than Scott Sinclair.
Although the former Chelsea attacker’s form has improved lately, the Hoops were in a bit of a rut when he was failing to find the net and Rodgers did not have anyone to replace him with.
Nkoudou is a left-sided winger who could not only give Sinclair some much-needed competition to get into Rodgers’ starting line-up at Parkhead, but the £35,000-a-week (Spotrac) Spurs outcast could prove to be a major upgrade on him.
It is unlikely to cost Rodgers a lot of money to pry Nkoudou away from Tottenham and there is a good chance that the French winger would consider the move because it is understood that he is desperate to kickstart his career.
At Celtic Park he will play regularly, win silverware regularly and play in Europe regularly – what more could a young player like him want?
Parkhead will erupt if Rodgers is able to pull of this move in the January transfer window.