Sky Sports are reporting that Celtic are close to completing a deal to bring Chelsea left back Landon Emenalo to the club on a season long loan.
Anthony Joseph stated Celtic are expected to complete a deal for the 18 year old on a straight loan for the season ahead, with no option to buy.
Emenalo is believed to have picked up a knock in training and needed time to recover before the two clubs could finish the paperwork around his move to Scotland. The youngster was shown around the club’s training facilities last week.
Who is Landon Emenalo?
Emenalo is an exciting 18 year old left back from the Chelsea youth academy.
Known for his tactical intelligence and composure on the ball, Emenalo is a versatile player who could help provide cover in midfield and centre back as well as his usual left back role. The move will be welcome news to O’Neill who has been playing Scales at left back when Tierney needed rested.
The manager had been linked with moves for the likes of Greg Taylor and Dundee United’s Will Ferry after looking for competition for Kieran Tierney. It now looks like the club have decided to add Emenalo on loan in a move that echos the deal that brought Alex Valle in from Barcelona a couple of seasons back.
Emenalo is clearly well thought of at Chelsea. The London club are keen for the fullback to continue his development with first team football. Whether he gets game time at Celtic is yet to be seen, with Tierney one of the first names on the team sheet when fit.
Tic Talk - Tim Lisbon’s Opinion
I personally thought the club would have looked to bring in another left back on a permanent deal instead of developing another team’s player without an option to buy. It appears that Martin O’Neill has prioritised Emenalo’s versatility to help cover a few positions and take away the need for another centre half. Personally, I would have had a look at Dundee Utd’s Will Ferry after his strong performances this season. However, bringing in Emenalo does make sense as it allows them to tick a box and focus on concluding other deals for key positions elsewhere. The club and manager must be confident that the youngster has the quality needed to compete for game time moving forward. Let’s hope that’s the case with the team having important domestic and European games coming up in the near future.
All views expressed on Celtic DNA are personal opinions and are for commentary and discussion purposes only
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