According to an earlier report from the Daily Record during the January transfer window, Celtic had lined up Lech Poznan’s Polish U21 star Robert Gumny as a long-term replacement for Mikael Lustig. However, the Bhoys were unsuccessful in their pursuit of the promising youngster and signed Jeremy Toljan on loan from Borussia Dortmund to solve their right-back conundrum temporarily.
The same report claims that Gumny almost joined German Bundesliga side Borussia Moenchengladbach in the January transfer window but a deal fell through on medical grounds.
Polish source Gazeta Wyborcza adds that Celtic were prepared to pay close to €5 million for Gumny but Lech Poznan were not keen to negotiate before the end of the season.
Meanwhile, the shortage of cover at right-back is becoming a real concern for Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, with the ligament damage to Anthony Ralston in the victory over St.Mirren further aggravating the situation. Rodgers needs to find a solution ahead of the upcoming season, with both Mikael Lustig and Cristian Gamboa out of contract at the end of the season.
And a young and versatile full-back like Robert Gumny certainly fits the bill at Parkhead. The 20-year-old is regarded as one of the top rising talents outside the top five leagues in Europe and Celtic should definitely set their sights on the Polish prodigy, having failed in their pursuit earlier in January.
A product of Lech Poznan’s youth system, Gumny made his senior debut in the Ekstraklasa in 2016 and has made a total of 57 appearances across all competitions, scoring once and setting up five more in the process. He is yet to represent Poland at the senior international level but is understood to be on the radar for a call-up, having already earned 7 caps for his nation at the U21 level.
Capable of playing as an auxiliary winger further up the pitch and also on the other side as a left-back, Gumny is a sharp, agile and attack-minded full-back who has earned rave reviews for his well-rounded attributes. The Polish sensation has shown maturity that belies his tender years both in terms of composure and decision-making, whilst his bagful of trickery is an unusual trait amongst young players in his position.
Gumny is certainly a young player with a bright future and he ticks all the boxes to become a useful long-term servant at Parkhead. That said, Celtic should reignite their interest in the Pole and match Lech Poznan’s valuation to strike a deal ahead of the upcoming season.