A big summer awaits for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side.
Having not replaced Kyōgo Furuhashi in January, the Hoops will be targeting a new centre-forward, while Kieran Tierney’s return will create much fanfare, replacing the outgoing Greg Taylor at left-back.
In the meantime, ahead of a huge Champions League play-off tie in August, Rodgers will also be looking to bolster his midfield options, so have the club identified their number on target?
Celtic's 'ideal successor to Callum McGregor'
It’s safe to say that Rodgers and Co have been winning plaudits for their recruitment, and it’s clear to see why. The return of a fan favourite in Jota got supporters off their seats and the same will occur when Tierney puts pen to paper in the summer. He was, after all, a bit of a legend during his first stint at Parkhead.
So, what’s next for the Celts?
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Well, as reported by Football Insider, Celtic have ‘identified’ midfielder Elvis Rexhbecaj as Callum McGregor’s ‘ideal successor’, adding that current club Augsburg may be willing to sell for as little as £3m, considering he is out of contract in 2026.
A further report from Sky Sports Germany suggests that the Premiership outfit are ‘monitoring’ his situation in Germany, with Besiktas and Hoffenheim also interested in his services.
Rexhbecaj played alongside Celtic’s record-signing Arne Engles 38 times in Bavaria, with the 27-year-old having made 84 appearances for the Fuggerstädter in total, previously spending time at fellow-Bundesliga clubs Wolfsburg, Köln and Bochum.
In an interview with FIFA’s official site, Rexhbecaj stated he is “happy at Augsburg”, adding that “I’ve got the sense that I’m here for the long haul”, but with his contract running down, could the German club decide to sell?
How Elvis Rexhbeçaj would improve Celtic
Rexhbecaj’s performances for Augsburg this season have been described as ‘fantastic’ by local media, deployed in numerous different midfield positions by manager Jess Thorup, but predominantly playing as a defensive anchor.
So, let’s analyse his Bundesliga statistics.
Appearances
21
163rd
Minutes
1,632
117th
Pass completion %
70.1%
210th
Key passes
13
128th
Touches
794
165th
Tackles
25
125th
Tackles won
18
90th
% of dribblers tackled
42.4%
143rd
Blocks
36
26th
Interceptions
16
95th
Ball recoveries
79
83rd
Yellow cards
8
5th
As the table outlines, Rexhbeçaj’s statistics don’t exactly leap off the page, as he is pretty solid, if unspectacular, when it comes to passing as well as all of the defensive metrics, namely ball recoveries, interceptions, blocks and tackles.
Nevertheless, considering that Dominik Schneider of FussballTransfers reports that Parma, Beşiktaş and numerous EFL Championship clubs are all also ‘interested’ in signing him and the fact that FBRef compares him to Newcastle’s £55m man Sandro Tonali, he must be doing something right.
So, could he be the perfect McGregor deputy, perhaps even the captain’s long-term successor?
Last month’s Glasgow derby defeat to Rangers at Parkhead hammered home McGregor’s importance to this Celtic team, with Rodgers himself admitting afterwards that there’s “no doubt” his team missed the skipper, struggling to cope without the “tactical balance” he provides.
Kieran Devlin of the Athletic labeled McGregor Celtic’s ‘most important player’, and the Hoops’ lack of midfield control without him highlighted why.
So, let’s see how McGregor and Rexhbeçaj compare.
Appearances
45
25
Minutes
3,850
1,907
Goals
9
2
Assists
2
1
Chances created
25
13
Passing accuracy %
91.69%
77.61%
Through-balls
11
4
Duels Contested
170
163
% of ground duels won
48.32%
50.71%
% of aerials duels won
45.45%
34.78%
Tackles
34
25
Interceptions
24
16
Ball recoveries
210
79
Touches per 90
81.11
47.76
As the table outlines, McGregor comes out on top for pretty much every metric this season, % of ground duels won the sole exception, albeit there are stylistic similarities between the pair.
It’s also worth taking into account that Rexhbeçaj is playing at a considerably higher level; according to Global Football Rankings, the Bundesliga is the third strongest league in the world, while the Scottish Premiership ranks 43rd.
What is clear is that Celtic require midfield reinforcements so if Rexhbecaj is available at a cut-price this summer, he could be a useful addition.
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