Celtic Opinion: MLS star Alberth Elis would be an excellent signing for the Hoops
According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic have enquired Emilio Izaguirre about his Honduran international teammate and Houston Dynamo star Alberth Elis, as per the player himself.
The Scottish Sun understands that Elis is on Celtic’s radar and the Hoops are keeping close tabs on his progress in the MLS.
Celtic have put a one-year contract extension on the table for Izaguirre to extend his stay at Parkhead but the 32-year-old remains keen on a move to the MLS, which will allow him to stay closer to his homeland, claims The Scottish Sun.
Elis, who was linked with a move to West Brom back in the January transfer window, has also attracted interest from Turkish giants Fenerbahce. (h/t Scottish Sun)
The 23-year-old rose to prominence with Honduran club Olimpia before earning a move to Mexican giants Monterrey but his time in Mexico was marred due to lack of opportunities.
Having struggled to establish himself as a regular at Monterrey, Elis was loaned out to MLS outfit Houston Dynamo for the 2017 season where he made an instant impact with 11 goals and 3 assists.
The Honduran was signed permanently by Houston later in the season due to his impressive run of form and he hasn’t looked back since then, establishing himself as one of the most lethal attackers across the Atlantic.
The 23-year-old has accumulated 26 goals and 21 assists from 76 appearances for the MLS outfit in all competitions till date, with his red-hot form attracting plenty of interest from Europe.
Elis, who has 7 goals from 31 appearances for Honduras at the senior international level, is primarily a right-winger or a wide forward by trade, although he is more than capable of leading the line as a centre-forward.
Known for his pace, power, drive, determination, agility, athleticism and eye for goal, Elis likes to terrorise defenders down the flanks and has the ability to cut inside from the wide areas.
The jet-heeled attacker is noted for his bagful of trickery, wonderful acceleration and ability to change directions in the blink of an eye, making him a perfect fit for a role out wide on the right.
Elis, however, has the movement, awareness, instincts and aerial ability of a centre-forward as well, which allows him to make a big impact with goals. He often uses his athleticism and upper body strength to rise higher than his defensive counterparts inside the box and scores goals from crosses and set-pieces.
To go with his pace, power, flair and other attributes, the Honduran also has a good eye for key passes in the final third, which makes him an efficient assist-provider as well.
Elis averaged 1.6 key passes, 2.9 shots, 2.9 dribbles and 2.3 aerial duels per game in the MLS this term, figures which clearly show what a versatile and dangerous attacker he is.
To put things into perspective, Alberth Elis looks like a real talent at the moment and Celtic should not have any second thoughts about making a move for the 23-year-old Honduran international.
Loanees Oliver Burke and Timothy Weah are set to return to their parent clubs West Brom and PSG respectively at the end of the season, which should prompt the Hoops to dip into the transfer window for viable alternatives.
The departure of Weah and Burke would leave Odsonne Edouard as the only top-quality striker in Celtic’s ranks, with the likes of Leigh Griffiths and January recruit Vakoun Issouf Bayo hardly featuring for the Hoops in the second half of the campaign.
Also, Elis’s versatility should make him a wonderful asset to Celtic. Neil Lennon can look at him as someone who could possibly challenge the likes of Edouard, Griffiths and James Forrest for a place in the team, owing to his ability to play as a wide attacker and a centre-forward.
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Celtic are on the verge of claiming their eight straight domestic title and the Hoops have once again managed to get the better of arch-rivals Rangers by a long margin in the title race.
However, they should continue to invest in exciting talents to ensure that the club moves in the right direction and also enjoy some success in European competitions. Alberth Elis has really outgrown the MLS and Celtic can look at him as a good long-term investment.
