INVEST IN SUCESS, INVEST IN ANGE AND THE REWARDS WILL COME
I'm going to cover 6 players over 2 posts as I'm still watching footage of a few players even as I type this.
All of the players I will cover are players who I can imagine offering Celtic something that could see them be good additions both domestically and in European competition.
Just before I start the one thing that is vitally important in all of this is I trust in Ange Postecoglou as a manager. His judgement up until now when it has come to recruitment has been at a level that hasn't been seen at Celtic in a very long time and as long as the club let him have the final say then I'm 100% on board as a supporter. Not every signing a club makes will work as a manager imagines it will, but I have absolutely no doubt that every signing he makes is done so with Ange giving it a great deal of thought and imagination and I absolutely love that about him as a manager.
Name: Johnny
Age: 21 Years Old
Position: Central Midfielder
Nationality: American
Club: Internacional
Johnny is a player who I had first seen back at the start of this year just as he was getting games for Internacional and he looked strong for a player who only had around 40 senior games under his belt.
As the Brazilian season has gone on Johnny has already stepped up a level from where I would have placed him at that time. My initial impressions have also changed as I would have looked at him as a more defensive minded option but as the season has gone on he has actually proven himself to be a more dynamic player who looks to dominate the central third by putting pressure on the opposition team in higher areas. He almost acts as a 6 in a role where you would see and 8 or a 10 and that's why I think he would fit that aggressive press that Ange looks to use.
Johnny has a great ability to win balls in the opposition half and kill transitions before they get started and that is valuable asset in any team who wants to dominate the ball high up the pitch. As we found out to our expense in the Champions League those quick transitions were probably the thing we struggled with the most so getting a player who offers that aggressive dynamic in the final third would hopefully see us reduce the number of potential counters significantly.
His safety and progressive passing are a good standard and his upbringing within the futsal system shows when he has the ball, he has that comfort and balance that futsal players all seem to have. He maybe lacks the killer ball but his ability to attack space and progress 10/15/20 yards with the ball make him an offensive threat. He might not get 10 + assists but his style of play means he will have a strong presence in the transition from defence to attack and in ensuring attacks can run through multiple phases when required.
Other elements of his game also would bring a little more to the team are things like his aerial capability both in attack and defensively, so while he only has 3 goals this season there is scope to make more use of his ability to attack the ball from set plays. He would also add a little more security when defending set plays.
He also comes with the advantage of being Brazilian, everyone loves a Brazilian player in their team (He's not Scheidt) but having been born in America. Johnny has opted to play for the USA so his chances of gaining good international experiences are a lot higher than if he was fighting for the central midfield slots in the Brazilian team and as much as international games can be frustrating, they do offer a good platform for players to test themselves against other top players.
Next up......
Name: Miki Yamane
Age: 28 Years Old
Position: Right Back
Nationality: Japanese
Club: Kawasaki Frontale
This is a move that would be based upon part 1 of this Celtic overview with Juranovic being a player who might receive significant interest both in the upcoming window and the summer.
Miki Yamane is the best right back in the J-League and has been for a few years. Why hasn't he left, I honestly don't know but if there was an environment that fits him well then it's at Celtic Park. Kawasaki Frontale took the style that Ange stormed the J-League with and created a fantastic unit who are successful and a great team to watch.
Yamane is a swiss army knife right back. He has a bit of everything including a sprinkle of flair. He ticks all the boxes for defensive elements. He can tackle, he positions himself well with a strong body shape when he attacks the ball in duels.
On the ball he can take the play inside and play in the inverted position that brings him into more central areas, or as the runner inside the winger. He can go outside and shows a good ability to cross the ball from deeper areas (18 to 25 yards) and from the byeline to 18 yard point with more outswinging or driven crosses. Last season he registered 12 assists and 2 goals in the league, this year his numbers are down with 3 goals and 4 assists but he's still performing well enough. It is clear that teams have seen how much of a threat he is so are now putting more pressure on him, but that in turn is an opportunity for others to make use of the extra space they have and Wakazaki the midfield playmaker for Frontale has probably been the player who has seen the most benefit from the attention Miki gets.
At 28 some may say he's above the age we'd look at but as I've pointed out in part 1 that model thankfully appears to be gone.
Last one for this post is a little bit of a cheat, but the more I watch him the more I like him and given the value it seems like a great move based in the prices being touted. The 3rd man up is the is the first man I covered on this blog.....
Name: Mateo Retegui
Age: 23 Years Old
Position: Striker
Nationality: Argentine
Club: Tigre (On loan from Boca Juniors)
This is the overview of who he is and what he can do:
But I'm not being lazy and stopping there. The reason for me that Retegui would be an attractive prospect is that he is a power forward who will run the channels. I like that he knows that while the key is to be in between the posts when the final pass is being made, he's also showing good awareness to run channels to allow his team an out ball and also keeping defenders heads on the swivel and forcing them to make decisions, and that in itself can create indecision which more often than not leads to good chances.
He's also what I would call a banger (those little white things you chuck at the ground when you are kid and they let of a little bang), or I think the correct term is fire-cracker or fun snaps, or at least that's what my wife has just told me. Feel free to correct me on twitter, but back to the point. Retegui has that ability to explode in a split second with a shot, a run into the areas that make even the best defenders uncomfortable or harassing a player who thinks he has time. If that talent can be enhanced and given a platform to progress, then he goes from being a banger that gives little frights to dynamite that has defenders going in at half time looking for a change of underwear because they are terrified at the thought of having to go another 45 minutes with him showing more of that explosive nature he appears to have.
Lastly and this is sheer speculation based on the articles I have had to google translate, but if the figures discussed for his option to buy are correct and can be negotiated to that sort of level, around 2.5 million dollars, so just over 2 million pounds then it's an opportunity that represents a level of value you won't find anywhere in Europe. On a numbers basis a young striker scoring 19 goals in 27 games in a competitive league with his profile would see fees 7 or 8x more being talked about. I'd go as far as to say if Boca decided they'd sell at 2 or 3x that value he'd still be worth real consideration.
The only downside to the situation with Retegui is that it has been established that Tigres have the loan until December 2023, although Boca Juniors can choose to end that loan this winter. As it stands Boca seem to be taking a stance that leaves the decision in the hands of Retegui as Juan Roman Riquelme (ex-player and now vice president of Boca) has said they will respect the initial deal and will leave the decision with them. It's hard to know if he means Tigres, or Tigres and Retegui but the fact Boca aren't taking him back when the option allows for it certainly makes the situation more interesting.
THE NEXT 3
Part 3, and my apologies for this but I have a list of about 20 players and narrowing it down is proving difficult as my own indecisive nature means that even as I type I'm thinking should I discuss other players. What I will note is that I have 3 positions in mind as I continue to fight with myself over which players would fit best. A central defender, a winger to replace my part 1 sale of Abada (although I note that there are reports of a new contract being discussed) and a midfielder who would be classed as a holding player.
Thank you again for taking the time to read this and for the follows, likes and retweets on Twitter etc
Hope you're having a good one
R
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