Why Andraz Sporar could be a real coup for Celtic
According to Daily Record (h/t The Scottish Sun), Celtic have been credited with an interest in Slovenian forward Andraz Sporar, who currently plies his trade with Slovakian giants Slovan Bratislava.
The Hoops are expected to face stiff competition from several clubs in England, Germany, Italy, France and Spain in their pursuit of the 25-year-old, who has impressed in the UEFA Europa League this term (Daily Record h/t Scottish Sun).
Despite Bratislava finishing third in Group K with only a solitary win from their six group fixtures and missing out on qualification to the knockout rounds, Sporar caught the eye with a tally of 5 goals and 2 assists in 6 games.
Besides finding the net against the likes of Wolves and Braga in the Europa League, the Slovenian international has also attracted attention from several other clubs due to his rich vein of form in the domestic league.
The 25-year-old has netted 12 goals in 11 league fixtures for Bratislava and his red-hot scoring streak has apparently put him on the verge of a move to a more competitive league ahead of the mid-season trading period in January.
Sporar rose to prominence with Slovenian second-tier club Interblock and went on to bag 50 goals in 108 appearances for Olimpia Ljubljana before earning a move to Swiss heavyweights Basel in January 2016.
However, he only managed to score once in 26 appearances over the course of an ill-fated spell in Switzerland and also spent time on loan at Arminia Bielefield in the German second-tier before moving on to join Slovan Bratislava in January 2018.
The 15-cap Slovenian international hasn’t looked back since then and has gone on to carve out a massive reputation for him as a consistent goalscorer in the Slovakian top-flight.
Sporar presently boasts of an eye-watering tally of 60 goals and 17 assists in 78 appearances for Bratislava in all competitions and that could well be enough to earn him a coveted move to a bigger club.
Meanwhile, Celtic couldn’t have expected things to have much better for them heading into the festive Christmas and New Year period. With the Betfred Cup already in the bag, the Hoops have also secured qualification to the last 32 of the Europa League while they are also two points ahead of Old Firm rivals Rangers atop the Scottish Premiership standings.
The ‘Treble treble’ winners from the previous campaign haven’t been short of goals this term, with star forward Odsonne Edouard once again firing on all cylinders and the likes of James Forrest and Ryan Christie also chipping in with valuable goal contributions.
However, pursuing a move for Sporar makes perfect sense, given that the Hoops currently do not have too much quality depth in their striking ranks beyond Edouard.
With the likes of Leigh Griffiths and Vakoun Issouf Bayo struggling to make an impact due to recurrent injuries, Lennon has shown the inclination to use Lewis Morgan, primarily a winger by trade, to spearhead the attack in recent times to give Edouard some much-needed break.
To that end, the necessity of a new striking recruit certainly can’t be played down and Andraz Sporar certainly looks like a good choice. The 25-year-old fits the bill as a player in the right age bracket and his incredible scoring record in Slovakia, as well as in the Europa League, is bound to give Lennon some food for thought ahead of the upcoming transfer period.
Verdict
Celtic haven’t really had the best of times with their recruitment in the January window in recent years, with the likes of Jeremy Toljan, Vakoun Bayo and Jack Hendry failing to live up to the expectations at Parkhead.
It is worth a reminder, however, that someone like Alfredo Morelos, who came through the door at Rangers from the lowly Finnish league, has proven to be a hidden gem over the course of his stay at Ibrox.
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Suffice to say, the touted fee of around £5million looks a bit daunting for a player who is yet to prove his worth in any top league in Europe but Andraz Sporar could still be worth a punt for Celtic.
