Celtic got a glimpse of what life could look like after club captain Callum McGregor moves on from Parkhead when he was absent for the loss to their city rivals last weekend.
The Hoops were beaten 3-2 by Rangers at Paradise in the Scottish Premiership, cutting their lead at the top down to 13 points, and it came with Belgian starlet Arne Engels in the number six position.
An attack-minded midfielder by trade, the former Augsburg man did not control the game in the middle of the park – losing four of his five ground duels in total.
McGregor has won 58% of his ground duels and completed an eye-catching 94% of his passes in the Premiership this season, which suggests that the Hoops missed his presence against the Gers as Engels failed to offer the same mixture of strength and composure.
Brendan Rodgers may look to address that position in the summer transfer window to ensure that he has competition and depth in that area, potentially looking to replicate what his squad looked like during his first spell.
Between 2016 and 2019, Celtic had a younger McGregor as well as impressive defensive midfielder Nir Bitton at the base of the midfield as an option.
Why Nir Bitton was an important player for Rodgers
The Israel international made 67 appearances in less than three seasons under the Northern Irish head coach, but he was not signed by the former Liverpool and Leicester City chief.
Celtic signed him from FC Ashdod in the summer of 2013 and got nine years of service out of the versatile star, who caught the eye under several managers – including Rodgers.
The 6 foot 4 colossus made 39 appearances in all competitions in Rodgers’ first season at Parkhead in the 2016/17 campaign, starting all of his matches as a defensive or central midfielder.
Interestingly, however, all 16 of his starts in the following season came as a centre-back – even starting in that role against Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Defensive midfield
138
13
12
Centre-back
59
1
3
Central midfield
9
1
1
As you can see in the table above, Bitton had plenty of experience as both a defensive midfielder and a centre-back during his nine-year stay in Glasgow.
This shows that the towering titan offered positional and tactical flexibility to Rodgers because he could play as part of a midfield three or two, or in the defence in a four or a three. This allowed the manager to change the system and tactics mid-game without making any substitutions, because Bitton could alter his role on the pitch due to his versatility.
The Celtic boss could, now, find his next version of the Israel international by swooping to sign a player the club are reportedly targeting this summer.
Celtic targeting defensive midfield star
According to Football Insider, the Scottish Premiership leaders are planning to bolster their options in the middle of the park in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Hoops are plotting a ‘busy’ summer of business because Rodgers has called on the owners to improve the squad in order to push the team to the next level in the 2025/26 campaign.
Football Insider reveals that Guingamp defensive midfielder Kalidou Sidibe is one of the names on their shortlist, as they plot a swoop for his services later this year.
Rodgers is eyeing the 26-year-old star in what could be a ‘cut-price’ deal due to his contract situation with the French club. The former PSG midfielder’s current deal with Guingamp is until the summer of 2026, which means that he will only have a year left on it at the end of this season.
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This means that the Ligue 2 outfit could be tempted to cash in on the French colossus this summer unless they can agree to fresh terms with him, which could open the door for the Scottish giants to swoop in with an offer.
Why Kalidou Sidibe would be the next Nir Bitton for Celtic
Rodgers must push for the club to get a deal done for Sidibe when the summer transfer window opens for business because he has the quality and the versatility to become the manager’s new Nir Bitton at Parkhead next season.
Firstly, the 26-year-old star has a similar physical frame and could offer the same presence at the base of the midfield, as he stands at a staggering 6 foot 7, even taller than the 6 foot 4 former Celtic titan.
Secondly, Sidibe has started 88 times as a defensive midfielder and 20 times as a centre-back in his club career to date, which suggests that he shares Bitton’s positional flexibility.
This means that Rodgers, as he did with the Israel international, could use him in a multitude of ways as part of a midfield or defensive structure, thanks to his ability to play in either role.
Finally, his performances in Ligue 2 for Guingamp this season suggest that he has some excellent attributes that could make him an interesting stand-in for McGregor when needed next term and beyond.
Appearances (starts)
26 (25)
27 (26)
Goals
1
8
Assists
4
1
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.1
1.7
Dribbled past per game
0.3
0.4
Duels won per game
7.3
3.0
Duel success rate
62%
56%
As you can see in the table above, Sidibe has outperformed McGregor in several categories this season, winning more duels and making more tackles and interceptions, despite being dribbled past less often.
This suggests that the French colossus could offer more defensive security in that role when required, as he does not get beaten by opposition players as easily in duels and makes more defensive interventions each match.
Therefore, Sidibe could become Bitton 2.0 for Rodgers by offering a similar option in the squad as a versatile and towering defensive midfielder who can step in for McGregor, or alongside him, when needed.
It is now down to the recruitment team to ensure that they win the race to land the 6 foot 7 titan when the summer transfer window opens for business later this year.
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