Opinion: Celtic interest in Manchester City pair could affect Hoops duo

It seems that Celtic will be looking to add a central defender to the current squad in the summer transfer window.

Sky Sports News reports that the Bhoys are interested in signing the Manchester City defensive pair Ko Itakura and Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

The report goes on to disclose that the Hops will be looking to sign a centre-back even if Cameron Carter-Vickers joins the club on a permanent basis, and that as yet the Hoops have not made contact with the English Premier League champions about the defensive duo.

It will be interesting to see what happens at Celtic should they sign both Manchester City players and Carter-Vickers. That would leave the Hoops with five centre-backs in the squad, which is probably too many.

Two players whose future at Celtic might be in doubt if the Manchester City duo sign are Stephen Welsh and Christopher Jullien.

Welsh and Jullien were behind Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers in the Celtic defensive pecking order in season 2021/22, with Jullien in particular out of favour, as he only played for Celtic once when he was available for selection for the last few months of the season.

Should Itakura and Harwood-Bellis sign, Jullien and Welsh’s chances of first-team football at Celtic would recede further.

Of the duo, you have to think that Jullien is more likely to leave Celtic in the close season, as he is almost completely out of the first-team picture at Celtic, whilst Welsh has featured in the squad if not in the first-team most weeks.

Jullien seemed to be saying goodbye at the Celtic title celebrations against Motherwell two weeks ago, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear that he is leaving Celtic over the next few weeks.

Ange Postecoglou seems to want his defence to improve on