Why Celtic should continue their pursuit of David Colina

According to claims from Football Insider (h/t The Scotsman), Celtic have submitted a £3million bid for highly-rated left-back David Colina, who currently plies his trade with Croatian heavyweights Hajduk Split.

However, the Hoops have had that offer turned down by Colina’s club, who value the Croatian U-21 international at close to £5.4million. It is understood that Hajduk Split are open to selling the youngster but Celtic will need to make a better offer if they are really serious about bringing the 20-year-old to Parkhead (Football Insider h/t Scotsman).

Profile

David Colina spent nine years in the youth ranks of Dinamo Zagreb between 2009 and 2018 before joining French club Monaco. However, the left-back failed to make a breakthrough at Monaco despite impressing for the U-19s in the UEFA Youth League. He returned to Croatian with Hajduk Split in 2019.

The 20-year-old made his senior professional debut for Hajduk Split last season and finished with a total of 23 appearances across all competitions. Colina has already made 6 appearances this season so far, featuring in 4 out of Hajduk’s five opening league fixtures.

Colina earned 39 caps for Croatia across U-17 and U-19 levels combined and has already made two appearances for his nation’s U-21 side. 

Colina would be a good long-term signing for Celtic

Celtic’s pursuit of a new left-back has grabbed the headlines on numerous occasions this summer following the departure of Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo on loan to Istanbul Basaksehir. Charlton Athletic starlet Alfie Doughty has long been touted as a top target while the Hoops have also identified other options like Niclas Eliasson and Casper Hojer.

Now, David Colina has become the latest player to emerge on Celtic’s shortlist ahead of the summer deadline as Neil Lennon looks to bring in some much-needed cover and competition for undisputed starter Greg Taylor at left wing-back.

Taylor has started 7 out of Celtic’s 8 opening league fixtures this season so far, impressing with 3 assists in the process. The Scottish champions, though, could find themselves in a massive fix if the 22-year-old is sidelined with an injury at some stage moving forward. 

Regardless of that, it goes without saying that Celtic need another left-back in their ranks to facilitate effective rotation, considering the challenge of having to compete on multiple fronts. And a talented youngster like David Colina certainly presents a good long-term option for the Hoops.

The Croatian U-21 international doesn’t have a lot of professional experience with just 29 first-team appearances for Hajduk Split. However, Colina has already started to make waves with his performances in his homeland and Celtic could have an absolute gem of a player on their hands if they manage to strike a deal for the 20-year-old. 

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Verdict

Truth be told, Hajduk Split’s £5.4m asking price for a relatively unproven youngster like David Colina seems a bit too much, especially in the post-pandemic market. Celtic should, however, try to negotiate a more reasonable fee for the 20-year-old, who seems to be a top-quality talent at this stage of his career.