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Celtic are in talks to sign “exceptional” new star
Reo Hatate is at a perplexing point in his career at Celtic. It has only been 18 months since a £10m offer from a Ligue 1 club was rejected by the club for the midfield star.
Yet, the Japan international has not really kicked on since that failed move to France. He was an unused substitute in the 2-2 draw with Hearts in the Scottish Premiership last time out, after being sent off in the 2-2 draw with Bologna in the Europa League last week.
Hatate is suspended for the clash with Utrecht in Europe on Thursday night and it remains to be seen if he will get any minutes in the next league match against Falkirk at the weekend.
The 28-year-old central midfielder was once an incredibly valuable asset for the Scottish giants, as evidenced by the £10m bid in 2024, but now he finds himself in a difficult position at Parkhead.
Celtic in talks to sign new midfielder
Hatate could also fall further down the pecking order in the coming weeks and months, as the Hoops are reportedly looking to bring in another player in his position.
According to Herald Scotland, Celtic are interested in a deal to sign Hajduk Split central midfielder Niko Sigur before the end of the January transfer window, which slams shut next Monday.
The report claims that the Canada international has been identified as the ‘main target’ for the Scottish giants in their pursuit of a new central midfield option for Martin O’Neill.
It adds that talks are ongoing between Celtic and Hajduk Split in an attempt to reach an agreement to bring the versatile star to Parkhead before the deadline.
However, Herald Scotland does not reveal how much money the Croatian side want for their star midfielder, or if they would be open to an initial loan with an option or obligation to make it permanent in the summer.
Why this is bad news for Hatate
The news that Celtic are in active talks to sign a new central midfielder should come as bad news to Hatate, particularly off the back of his recent struggles in Glasgow.
He already has Arne Engels, Benjamin Nygren, and Callum McGregor in the pecking order, with Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo also offering competition in the three midfield slots.
Part of the reason why Hatate has fallen out of the starting XI has been his lack of physicality in midfield. Per Sofascore, he has lost 55% of his duels in the Premiership and 59% of his duels in the Europa League, which shows that he has been dominated by opposition players domestically and in Europe.
Sigur, who scout Sasha on X claimed has “exceptional” technical ability, has shown with his performances in the Croatian top-flight this season that he has the quality and physicality to offer plenty to the Celtic team in and out of possession in the middle of the park.
Unlike Hatate, the 22-year-old star is a dominant midfielder who can boss his physical duels with opposition players, whilst remaining composed in possession for his team.
|
25/26 HNL |
Niko Sigur |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
17 |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Assists |
1 |
|
Pass accuracy |
89% |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
3.1 |
|
Duels won per game |
4.2 |
|
Duel success rate |
56% |
As you can see in the table above, Sigur is a reliable passer who rarely gives the ball away, but he is also strong in his duels and wins plenty of tackles, duels, and interceptions each game.
The Canadian star, who can play at right-back or as a holding midfielder, appears to have the physical profile that would improve O’Neill’s current midfield mix, given that Hatate has struggled out of possession in the Premiership and the Europa League this season.
O’Neill may not have trusted the Japanese midfielder to be up for the physical battle against Hearts, given that he was an unused substitute last weekend, but Sigur’s statistics suggest that there would be no such concern with his work off the ball.
This means that the Canada international could offer more to the team in the second half of the season, which is why the news of the club’s interest in signing him should come as bad news for Hatate, who could fall further down the pecking order upon the Split star’s arrival.
Celtic now favourites to sign £3m midfield star ahead of Rangers
The Hoops have jumped ahead of their rivals.
Hopefully, though, Hatate can turn his form around when he is next given the opportunity to play and is able to show why he was once valued at eight figures.
