Why Celtic should press ahead with their interest in Aleksandar Vukotic
According to a report from Le Noir (h/t The Scottish Sun), Celtic are considering a swoop for Waasland-Beveren defender Aleksandar Vukotic in the summer transfer window.
Vukotic, 24, started out his career at the academy of Serbian club FK Solga Kraljevo. He joined Dolina Padina in 2014 before signing for Bosnian outfit FK Krupa in 2015. The defender made 68 appearances for the club, scoring six goals.
Vukotic joined Waasland-Beveren in 2018 and has grown into a key member of the team. Till date, the centre-back has featured 65 times for the Belgian outfit, bagging three goals.
Celtic have carried on with their domestic domination this season too. The Hoops had won the Scottish League Cup in December and have now been crowned the league champions as well, with the Premiership season being cut short. Another domestic treble is very much on the cards, with them still being in contention for the Scottish FA Cup.
Celtic need a replacement for Kristoffer Ajer
Neil Lennon’s side have been solid defensively over the course of the 2019/20 campaign. Celtic have conceded just 19 goals in the Premiership this term, which is the joint best in the league along with arch-rivals Rangers.
Kristoffer Ajer and Christopher Jullien have been the mainstay at the back for the Bhoys. Both of them have featured in 45+ games this season. However, they are now staring at the prospect of losing one of their star defenders, with Ajer attracting interest from all across Europe.
As far as backup options go, neither Jozo Simunovic nor Hatem Abd Elhamed have been able to make an impression this season, missing large chunks of it with injuries. Furthermore, the former’s contract is up for expiry in a year. Hence, recruiting another defender in the summer would be a wise move for Celtic.
Having said that, Vukotic would be a viable option for the club. The 24-year-old has grown into a key member at Waasland-Beveren in his two years at the club. And while the club may be getting relegated from the top-flight, he had been one of their better performers this term.
Vukotic missed just two league games over the course of the season for Waasland-Beveren, chipping in with two goals. The 24-year-old would add greater depth to the centre-back department at Celtic, which would be needed, especially if they end up losing Ajer this summer.
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Verdict
Celtic may have exerted their dominance in domestic football once again but they are staring at the prospect of losing star defender Kristoffer Ajer this summer. Hence, bringing in a new centre-back would be a smart move by the club in order to ensure enough depth in the ranks. And signing Vukotic would do just that for the Hoops.
