It was obvious that Celtic were going to need to sign a new left-back to bolster their squad in the summer transfer window as the 2024/25 campaign came to an end.
Greg Taylor’s contract at Parkhead expires this summer and there is still no update on whether he will be renewing or if the defender has found a new club to join.
Jeffrey Schlupp spent the second half of the season on loan from Premier League side Crystal Palace and has since returned to his parent club, where his contract is due to expire at the end of this month.
This is why it was important for the Hoops to add to their squad in that position, and that is exactly what they have done with the signing of Kieran Tierney on a free transfer from Arsenal.
Brendan Rodgers will be looking at the squad and how it could look in the years to come, hence signing Tierney on a five-year deal, and he will also be looking at other positions in the squad.
One current star who does not have a clear successor in place is club captain Callum McGregor, who remains the first-choice holding midfielder for the Hoops.
Why Callum McGregor is so important for Celtic
The former Scotland international is not a classic holding midfielder, in the sense that he is not a midfield destroyer who is dominant defensively, but the Celtic maestro is exceptional when it comes to setting the tempo and controlling a game.
McGregor sits at the base of the midfield for the Scottish giants and uses his ability on the ball to dominate matches in possession, by passing teams into the ground.
|
24/25 Premiership |
Callum McGregor (per 90) |
Percentile rank vs midfielders |
|---|---|---|
|
Passes made |
79.78 |
Top 1% |
|
Pass accuracy |
94.3% |
Top 1% |
|
Long pass accuracy |
64.1% |
Top 5% |
|
Cross accuracy |
44.4% |
Top 4% |
|
Touches |
96.30 |
Top 1% |
|
Stats via FotMob |
||
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed star ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers in a host of possession and passing statistics, which shows that he was one of the best passers, if not the best, in the division.
McGregor also added a big goal threat to his game in the 2024/25 campaign, with a return of eight goals in 35 matches in the Scottish Premiership, after he had only scored two goals in the league in the previous season.
The Scottish star is important to Celtic and Rodgers, though, because of his metronomic passing qualities, and the Hoops are interested in a midfielder who could be their next version of McGregor.
Celtic have long-standing interest in Premier League midfielder
According to The Celtic Star, the Premiership champions have a long-standing interest in West Ham United’s central midfielder Andy Irving.
The report claims that the Hoops were interested in a deal to sign the left-footed star last summer but a change in management at the London Stadium, with Julen Lopetegui replacing David Moyes, put an end to any chance they had of signing him.
It states that a managerial change once again put a stop to Celtic’s interest in the recent January transfer window, as their attempt to sign the midfielder was turned down because Graham Potter wanted to run the rule over him during the second half of the season.
The Celtic Star does not reveal whether or not the Hoops are expected to go back in with a third attempt to sign the 25-year-old star, but it is clear that the club have an interest in him.
Rodgers must now push for the Hoops to go back in with another offer for the Premier League midfielder, because he could be McGregor 2.0 for the Bhoys.
Why Andy Irving could be the next Callum McGregor
The 25-year-old star could be the perfect signing to be a back-up option and potential successor to the captain due to his age and style of play.
Irving, who described his Scotland debut against Liechtenstein as “perfect”, is six years younger than McGregor and could be the long-term option for Rodgers at the base of the midfield.
The Hammers midfielder came on for the last 31 minutes against Liechtenstein and completed 23 of his 25 attempted passes (92%), whilst also creating two chances for his teammates, in what was an impressive cameo off the bench.
Irving, however, did not get too many opportunities to showcase his ability in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign, as he played just 178 minutes across ten appearances in the division for West Ham.
In that limited game time, though, the Celtic target showed why he could be a really good fit for Rodgers at Parkhead next season if the club were to snap him up.
|
24/25 Premier League |
Andy Irving (per 90) |
Percentile rank vs midfielders |
|---|---|---|
|
Passes made |
60.00 |
Top 8% |
|
Pass accuracy |
90.0% |
Top 16% |
|
Long passes made |
3.89 |
Top 5% |
|
Long pass accuracy |
87.5% |
Top 4% |
|
Cross accuracy |
50% |
Top 11% |
|
Touches |
87.78 |
Top 6% |
|
Stats via FotMob |
||
As you can see in the table above, Irving excelled in possession when coming off the bench for West Ham, ranking highly among Premier League midfielders in a host of passing and possession-based metrics.
The Scottish whiz also showcased his ability to score goals, as McGregor did in the 2024/25 campaign, with nine goals in 28 matches in the Austrian Bundesliga during the 2023/24 season, whilst playing for Klagenfurt.
These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Irving to be a midfielder who can control and dictate games for Celtic from a number six position, due to his promising cameos in the Premier League as a dominant and reliable passer.
In a Hoops team that dominates possession week-in-week-out and competes for the title every year, the 25-year-old star could thrive as a tempo-setter who can enjoy plenty of touches of the ball.
Related
More exciting than Osmand: Celtic in the running to sign “terrific” winger
Celtic are interested in a deal to sign a winger who would be an even more exciting signing than Callum Osmand.
Therefore, Celtic should make it third time lucky with another move for Irving before the end of the summer transfer window to add brilliant depth to their midfield, whilst also securing their long-term successor to McGregor.
