Why Celtic should offload Eboue Kouassi soon

According to Daily Record, Celtic midfielder Eboue Kouassi will sign for Belgian outfit Genk permanently.

Kouassi was signed by Celtic for a fee of £3million in January 2017. However, the Ivorian has failed to nail down a regular spot in the side until now. This saw the unwanted midfielder being offloaded on loan to Genk in January.

Meanwhile, Genk have an option to buy Kouassi, who is valued at around £1.34million by Celtic. However, the Belgian side will have to activate that option before May 29 if they wish to make his move permanent.

Despite arriving three years back, Kouassi has managed just 22 appearances across all competitions for Celtic. His mere numbers suggest that he is clearly way down the pecking order of things at Celtic Park.

So far, he has played just 12 Scottish Premiership matches for the Hoops, of which two came this season, giving a clear idea that he is clearly not in manager Neil Lennon’s plans for the future.

Being on the sidelines for so long seems to have frustrated the Ivorian, who finally got a chance to grab more game time by earning a move to Genk.

First-team opportunities will be rare for Kouassi at Celtic

However, luck seems to have not favoured Kouassi yet. Despite moving to Belgium, the 22-year-old appeared just four times for Genk. The young defensive midfielder has started just three times out of their last seven league outings, raising serious concerns about his form and consistency.

Kouassi played the most for Celtic during the 2017-18 season where he made 12 appearances. Since then, his performances seem to have deteriorated, with him appearing just five times last season. This season, he hasn’t made a single appearance.

Meanwhile, the arrival of young defensive midfielders Ismaila Soro in January and Luca Connell last summer has put Kouassi under more jeopardy. Also, the Hoops already have experienced campaigner Nir Bitton in the defensive midfield role.

Considering all this, Kouassi’s chances seem increasingly rare in the coming days and it would be wise of Celtic to offload their unwanted man as soon as possible.

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Verdict

With Celtic already having as many as 11 midfielders in their side, opportunities may be rare for young Kouassi in the future. Also, having been sent out on loan in January it is clear that he is currently not in Lennon’s plans.

Hence, they should sell their player who looks surplus to requirements and use that money to strengthen their side.