Celtic Opinion: Signing Adam Maher for free could be an absolute steal for the Hoops
According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are interested in signing Dutch international midfielder Adam Maher, who currently plies his trade in the Eredivisie with AZ Alkmaar.
The Scottish Sun understands that the Hoops would need to fend off interest from as many as 6 other clubs if they are really serious about getting their hands on the 25-year-old attacking midfielder this summer, with Vitesse Arnhem, Fenerbahce, Brescia, as well as Championship duo Blackburn Rovers and Queens Park Rangers, all hot on the Dutchman’s trail.
The same source reports that Maher is unlikely to put pen to paper on a new contract at AZ and he would be available as a free agent in a month’s time when his contract at his current club expires. The versatile midfielder made 25 appearances in the Dutch top-flight this season and contributed with a goal and 4 assists to help AZ secure a 4th place finish in the Eredivisie.
The 25-year-old’s consistent run of form in the league didn’t go unnoticed and it is quite understandable that the level of interest in him is set to rocket sky-high over the next few weeks. The central midfielder’s imminent availability on a free transfer has put some of the European clubs on red alert, although it is still unclear where his next destination would lie.
A youth product of AZ, Maher spent three seasons at his boyhood club before switching boats to join PSV Eindhoven on a £7 million deal. However, he returned back to his old club following a mediocre spell with the Dutch giants, which included a loan spell in the Turkish Super Lig with Osmanlispor.
Maher, who has been capped 5 times by The Netherlands at the senior international level, was tipped to be the next big thing in Dutch football back in his earlier days. Although he has shown strong signs of excellence occasionally over the years, the 25-year-old hasn’t realised his potential just yet.
Maher, though, still has plenty of time left on his side to make improvements to his game and the prospect of landing an immensely talented player like him for absolutely nothing should appeal to a club like Celtic.
The 25-year-old averages 69.2 passes per game at an accuracy percentage of 82.1, including 7.6 successful long balls, 1.7 key passes, 1 cross, 1.2 dribbles, 2.6 tackles and 2 interceptions per game in the Eredivisie this term, figures which speak volumes of his well-rounded abilities as a central midfielder.
A versatile and dynamic midfielder, Maher combines the virtues of a specialist No.10 and a No.8 in the middle of the park. While he has the sharpness, agility, vision and the technical brilliance to fill in the role of a playmaker behind the striker, the Dutchman is more effective when deployed in a withdrawn box-to-box role, which allows him to bring his incredible range of passing, physicality, footballing intelligence, tough-tackling nature, anticipation and game-reading skills into play.
To put things into perspective, Celtic are currently not crying out for a central midfielder but the Hoops could do themselves a world of good if they manage to beat off competition for the dynamic Dutchman this summer.
Maher has a wealth of Eredivisie and Europa League experience under his belt and his presence is likely to boost the club’s team dynamics massively, so much so that the 25-year-old could transform them into a force to be reckoned with on the European front.
Celtic once again dominated their arch-rivals Rangers to claim their 8th straight domestic title and a victory over Hearts in the Scottish Cup final ensured that the Hoops bagged their third consecutive domestic treble. Having established themselves as the undisputed champions in Scotland, it is now time for Celtic to work some magic in the Europa League, and bringing in some top-quality players should be the way forward for the club.
The Hoops have the likes of Tom Rogic, Callum McGregor, Scott Brown and Ryan Christie in their central and attacking midfield ranks but Olivier Ntcham has been linked with a move away to Porto this summer, meaning that Celtic might lose the services of one of their most talented men in the middle of the park. (h/t Scotsman)
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Adam Maher is certainly a more established player than someone like Ntcham and Celtic could have an absolute gem on their hands if the Dutchman goes on to fulfil his promise at Parkhead.
