Celtic could land McGregor 2.0 in swoop for £9.4k-p/w "creative spark"
da cassino online： Celtic look set to finally end their long wait for a new number one to walk through the door at Parkhead as they close in on a deal for Kasper Schmeichel.
da betway： The Scottish giants are reportedly on the verge of completing the signing of the Denmark international on a free transfer after his exit from Anderlecht this summer, with a medical scheduled for this coming week.
Joe Hart retired from professional football at the end of May after three years in Glasgow and the former Leicester City goalkeeper is now poised to replace him between the sticks.
Schmeichel worked with Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City and could now reunite with the Northern Irish head coach to hopefully lift some more silverware alongside him next season.
The Danish giant does, however, turn 38 in November and is not likely to be a long-term option for the Hoops, which means that this particular transfer is only a short-term solution.
There is still plenty of time left, however, in the summer transfer window for the Scottish Premiership champions to target younger players with more long-term potential at Parkhead.
Celtic's interest in midfield ace
One player who could come in with the right profile to make an immediate impact whilst also being a long-term option for Rodgers is reported transfer target Riley McGree.
HITC recently claimed that the Hoops are eyeing up a potential swoop to sign the central midfielder from English Championship side Middlesbrough this summer.
It stated that the Australia international has one year left to run on his current contract with Boro and this means that they may have to cash in this year if they want to avoid losing him for nothing.
If they cannot pin the £9.4k-per-week gem down to a contract extension then Celtic, or another foreign club, would be able to speak to him from January 2025 onwards to agree a pre-contract deal ahead of a free transfer move next summer.
This is the second time that the Hoops have wanted to sign McGree as former manager Ange Postecoglou attempted to snap him up from Charlotte in the MLS back in 2021.
The Scottish giants had a bid of £2m accepted for the midfield maestro but he eventually opted to put pen to paper on a deal with Middlesbrough to move to England, and said in 2022 that he will "stand by" that decision.
This summer may present him with a chance to finally make a move to Parkhead, though, and he could come in as the long-term heir to Callum McGregor.
Callum McGregor's form for Celtic last season
The Scotland international enjoyed a solid season in the Premiership last term but Rodgers may have one eye on what life could look like after him.
At the age of 31, the academy graduate is heading into the final years of his career, or at least the peak of it, and McGree could come in as a future successor to him.
But, what exactly would the Boro star need to provide in order to do that? Well, McGregor is a metronomic passer who can dictate the tempo of games and progress play consistently to find his teammates in dangerous positions.
The Scottish ace played in 35 of the club's 38 league matches, starting 33 of those games, and this shows that he remains an integral part of Rodgers' plans as it stands.
23/24 Premiership
Callum McGregor
Appearances
35
Pass accuracy
92%
Accurate passes per game
63.1
Assists
6
Big chances created
7
Duel success rate
54%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Celtic captain was a midfield metronome for the club in the Premiership with his sublime 92% pass accuracy, which shows that he very rarely gave the ball away to the opposition.
McGregor did not achieve that high success rate through being boring or safe in possession, though, as he created seven 'big chances' for his teammates and made 1.4 key passes per game.
This shows that the 31-year-old star is a creative force in the middle of the park for the Scottish giants, as well as a reliable passer, whilst he can also hold his own in duels with a 54% success rate in physical contests.
Why Riley McGree could be Callum McGregor 2.0
The 25-year-old is not the finished article as he heads into what could be the peak years of his career and Rodgers could look to develop him into being a dream heir to McGregor.
As a left-footed midfielder with an eye for a pass, the potential is there for the Australian whiz to come in and eventually take over from the Hoops skipper.
McGree still has room for improvement in his reliability as a passer, with a success rate of 83% in the Championship for Boro last term, but he did complete 88% of his attempted passes inside his own half.
His decision-making on the ball was forward-thinking and progressive, though, as he ranked within the top 9% of midfielders in the division for progressive passes per 90 (5.72) and the top 35% for progressive carries per 90 (3.22).
This shows that McGree, who was dubbed a "creative spark" by journalist Josh Bunting, was one of the best midfielders in the Championship when it came to progressing the ball through passes and carries.
This suggests that the talented ace could fulfill McGregor's role in the Celtic team in that respect – passing through lines to find attackers at the top end of the pitch.
22/23 Championship
Riley McGree
Appearances
43
Goals
6
Assists
3
Big chances created
8
Key passes per game
1.1
Pass accuracy
83%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, McGree also showcased his threat as a scorer and a creator of goals for Middlesbrough in the 2022/23 campaign.
He created more than one chance per game, as McGregor did last term in the Premiership, and racked up 14 goals and 'big chances' created combined.
This suggests that the potential is there for the Boro whiz to come in as a progressive and creative midfielder who can also chip in with goals for the Hoops.
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Therefore, he could be a dream long-term successor to McGregor, as he is six years younger than the Scottish star, whilst also being an excellent option in the immediate term as a squad option.