Sampdoria defender Omar Colley in action. (Getty Images)
According to Daily Mail (h/t Daily Record), Celtic have identified Sampdoria defender Omar Colley in a bid to bolster their defence this season.
The report suggests that the Hoops could part ways with Kristoffer Ajer, who has been linked with a move elsewhere and they have identified Colley as his replacement. The Gambian is valued at £9m by his club.
Colley has just two more years left on his contract and Celtic boss Neil Lennon wants him if Ajer decides to leave this summer.
Born in the Gambia, Colley flourished through the ranks of Wallidan FC. He then moved to Finland with Kuopion Palloseura, where he made 74 appearances before moving to Djurgarden. He was then signed by Genk in August 2016 and immediately established himself as a key member of the squad.
He scored 5 goals in 95 appearances for the Belgian outfit before moving to Italy in the summer of 2018. Since then, Colley has grown into a key member of the squad and has been impressive in the last two seasons. Despite the club finishing 15th in the league standings, the Gambian was at his best last season. He has also been capped 12 times by his nation.
The Hoops have started their quest for 10th title in a row and have done a decent job so far. They are currently in 3rd position in the Premiership standings with two games in hand. Lennon has brought in some new faces to bolster their squad but the manager should focus on strengthening the squad before the transfer window closes.
One area where he should focus on strengthening is the central defence. With Shane Duffy’s arrival on loan last month, Celtic now have four centre-backs. Ajer and Christopher Jullien have been the main defenders and they have done extremely well so far. And Hatem Abd Elhamed mostly operates on the right side of the backline.
However, they need another centre-back this summer as Ajer could be on the move, as mentioned earlier, and his departure would their numbers at the back. Thus, making a move for Sampdoria’s Colley seems to be sensible.
He has been in sensational form for the Italian outfit and his inclusion to Lennon’s squad would definitely bring healthy competition, whilst also adding some much-needed depth. And he could be a perfect back-up for Ajer. The Gambian has already made over 270 career appearances and his experience could come in handy for the club in their league title race.
With Ajer linked with an exit and limited options at the back, it is clear that the Hoops need to bring in a centre-back. And Colley could be a solid addition to their backline as he has been in good nick. Thus, they should manage to lure the 27-year-old to Celtic Park this summer.
