Celtic storm into the race for “absolutely top tier” player with same agent as McGregor

Celtic have now entered contention to sign an “absolutely top tier” midfielder, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s contract set to expire at the end of the campaign.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has found it difficult to force his way into Martin O’Neill‘s plans so far this season, but the central midfielder was given a rare start against Falkirk on Sunday, featuring alongside Callum McGregor in the middle of the park.

However, the 33-year-old failed to make the desired impact, and he was replaced by Benjamin Nygren just after the 60-minute mark, at which point the Hoops were already 2-0 down.

REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

The scoreline remained the same until full-time, with O’Neill’s side falling to their second Scottish Premiership defeat of the campaign, while they have also been struggling in the Europa League, and currently sit second from bottom in the table.

As such, O’Neill is under increasing pressure, with former striker Chris Sutton giving a particularly scathing review of the performance at The Falkirk Stadium last time out.

In order to retain the title, the 74-year-old may need to bolster his squad during the January transfer window, and a central midfielder has been identified as a target, with Oxlade-Chamberlain struggling to hold down a place in the starting XI.

Celtic identify Abdoulaye Doumbia as transfer target

According to a report from Africafoot, Celtic have now stormed into the race to sign BK Hacken star Abdoulaye Doumbia, who has been attracting an extraordinary amount of interest.

Sunderland, Bayer Leverkusen, Everton, Club Brugge, Strasbourg, Paris FC, Coventry City, Freiburg, Nice and Lens are also keen on the Allsvenskan star, who is represented by the same agent as Callum McGregor.

REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

Even though he is just 19-years-old, the teenager has been a key player for BK Hacken this season, making 25 appearances in the Allsvenskan, during which time he has picked up two goals and three assists.

That is despite the youngster primarily featuring as a defensive midfielder, which is a role he excels in, according to scout Andreas Anderson, who said: “He is absolutely top tier as a defensive midfielder when it comes to winning the ball.”

The Ivorian midfielder has averaged a whopping 3.5 interceptions per 90 in the Allsvenskan this term, which is the highest number in the BK Hacken squad, and far more than any Celtic player has managed in the Scottish Premiership.

With Oxlade-Chamberlain’s contract coming to an end in the summer, it would make sense for Celtic to improve their midfield, and at 19-years-old, Doumbia could be an excellent long-term addition to the squad.