James McFadden believes Celtic would be making a good signing if they successfully acquired the services of Everton defender Phil Jagielka.
The Sky Sports pundit gave his thoughts on the Hoops being in pursuit of the 36-year-old centre-back, as reported by the Scottish Sun, after the Toffees confirmed that the experienced defender would be leaving the club this summer once his current £50,000-a-week deal [Spotrac] expires.
McFadden shared that he thought Jagielka was the type of defender that Celtic should be looking to add to their defence, and claimed it would be a big coup if they pulled a deal off.
“It would be a big coup for Neil Lennon and Celtic if they can talk him into moving to Glasgow,” said the pundit, as quoted by the Scottish Sun.
“He’s the kind of player Celtic are looking for in that defence. He’s a talker and he’s a very good organiser.
“Above all else, Phil is a winner. He sets really high standards and he expects them to be met.
“It would be a really positive signing if it were to come off.”
OPINION
Would anyone disagree with McFadden here? Surely not. The pundit is spot-on to suggest that Jagielka would not only be a big coup for Celtic, but that he would be a player who’d make a real difference. Celtic’s defence is clearly in need of strengthening with 28-year-old centre-back Dedryck Boyata set to depart in order to join Hertha Berlin. The German club previously confirmed via their website that they had successfully signed the centre-back, and that leaves Neil Lennon’s side at least one defender short ahead of the new season. Jagielka may have only made seven appearances for the Toffees in his 2018/19 campaign, but his vast experienced in the game would be useful. The 36-year-old may not be the fastest centre-back around anymore but after playing 360 times in the Premier League, clearly he knows what it takes to deliver the goods at the highest level. Also given that Jagielka will be available to be snapped up on a free transfer, it does seem like Celtic should go all out to get him.