David Colina (R) has excelled with Croatia's youth sides (Image credit: Google)
As per Index Sport (h/t Glasgow Times), Celtic are interested in signing Hadjuk Split youngster David Colina in the summer.
The 20-year-old rose through Dinamo Zagreb’s youth system and moved to Monaco in 2018. However, he failed to make it to the French outfit’s senior team, featuring in just 4 UEFA Youth League games before returning to his homeland with Hadjuk Split. He has also represented Croatia 46 times at the youth level.
Since joining Hadjuk last summer, he has been a regular member of the squad and has quickly integrated himself into the first-team, helping them finish 5th in the league standings. This helped the team qualify for the Europa League.
The report also suggests that Colina was one of the two players from Croatia to be nominated for the Golden Boy award. Thus, Celtic should make a swift move for the youngster before the transfer window closes.
Neil Lennon has managed to keep his team at the top and after lifting their 9th title in a row, the Hoops have got off to a good start in the new campaign. They have been blessed with a talented squad and would be hoping to continue their dominance in Scotland.
The Hoops have been brilliant in every department so far. However, one key area that needs to be strengthened is the left-back position. At the moment, Boli Bolingoli and Greg Taylor are the two players available on the left side of the defence.
Since the second half of last campaign, Taylor has been the first-choice at left-back. Bolingoli hasn’t been the same since his return from a knee injury and has lost his spot to the Scottish international. There is no competition for the spot. Hence, bringing in a left-back would increase the depth in the squad and could help the team moving forward.
In that regard, making a move for Colina seems sensible. The young Croatian has excelled for Hadjuk this term, making 22 appearances and providing 1 assist in the process. Though his numbers may not be among the best, he has already shown immense potential and could be seen as a future prospect for Celtic.
His inclusion would definitely bring healthy competition for the left-back spot and would also add depth to Lennon’s squad. And if he is able to make a difference, he could go on to represent the Scottish giants in the long run.
With Bolingoli being left out of the squad for the majority of the time, Celtic need to bring in a talented youngster who can fight for the spot. Colina would be a suitable option, given he has already impressed at the youth level and made himself a key member for Hadjuk at a very young age. Thus, the Hoops going all out for him would be a wise decision.
