According to last year’s report from the Scottish Sun, Celtic had taken Moses Odubajo on trial following the expiration of his contract at Hull City. But Moses Odubajo failed in his effort to convince Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers and win a contract at the club as the Hoops chose to move on.
Odubajo, 25, has spent two years out of the game through injury, undergoing three knee operations. He made his comeback this season by re-joining former club Brentford on a one-year contract, with the option of a further year.
So far so good, the former England U20 international has impressed at Brentford, managing 16 Championship appearances. With Odubajo beginning to get back to his best now, should Celtic make a move for him in the summer transfer window?
Without a shadow of doubt, yes! Mikael Lustig has been on the books of Celtic since January 2012 and has been a fantastic servant for the Glasgow giants down the years. But he has inarguably declined over the past 12 months and looks clearly past his prime.
Not to forget, the Swede is out of contract and with his deputy, Cristian Gamboa’s deal also expiring in summer, Celtic are in dire need of fresh legs in the right-back position. However, Rodgers did manage to get a temporary fix for the position by bringing in Borussia Dortmund’s Jeremy Toljan on loan until the end of the season.
Moses Odubajo could be the answer to Celtic’s search for a right-back ahead of the next season. Even though Odubajo has lost his pace a bit following three knee surgeries, he has still managed to transform his game to be more productive in the opposition half. He is capable of delivering wicked crosses into the opposition penalty box from the wide areas and also packs a lot of power with his shots from distance.
The 25-year-old is highly versatile, capable of operating at right wing-back or in an advanced role on the right as well. A good dribbler and a decent passer of the ball, Odubajo, however, needs to improve his concentration. But he certainly has it in him to start regularly at a big club.
At 25, Odubajo still has enough time to revive his career after injuries ruined two precious years of his. And maybe Rodgers could be the right manager to take his game to a different level. All in all, the former Hull City man has the attributes to become Celtic’s right-back for the next five years, at least.
