Why Wigan should sign Eboue Kouassi on loan in January
Eboue Kouassi was told he is free to leave Celtic during the summer transfer window, according to the Daily Record. However, Kouassi stayed put at Celtic but a lack of opportunities this season could make him leave Celtic in January.
Kouassi, 20, was signed by the Hoops in January last year for a fee of £3million from Russian side Krasnodar. He has been on the fringes ever since he moved to the Parkhead and following Youssouf Mulumbu’s deadline day addition, the young Ivorian has fallen way down the pecking order.
He has just appeared once in the Scottish Premiership this season and it looks like the youngster doesn’t have a future at Parkhead under Brendan Rodgers. However, one cannot blame Rodgers as Scott Brown and Olivier Ntcham had a phenomenal 2017/18 season and the youngster failed to break into the side.
However, Kouassi is very young and can go on to establish himself for his club and country. But for that to happen, he needs to start playing regularly, which is only possible if he decides to leave Celtic in January. Should the Ivorian make up his mind to exit the Scottish club, Wigan Athletic must surely make a January swoop for the player.
Wigan, last season’s League One title winners, have started the Championship season very well and are 8th on the table after 10 games. Wigan strolled in League One last season and going by their initial performances, it is safe to suggest Paul Cook’s men would achieve safety in the Championship without breaking a sweat.
But to compete for the playoff berths and really make a statement in the Championship, Paul Cook would need a couple of fresh faces in January. One of those should be Celtic midfielder Eboue Kouassi.
The Celtic man operates typically as a holding midfielder but can dribble with the ball effectively using his pace. He can also get forward and attack when needed, which makes him an all-action midfielder. The Ivorian is extremely good at intercepting and reading games and is a dominant figure in the middle of the park.
At Wigan, Kouassi would be able to get regular minutes on the pitch and would also bring competition. However, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to adapt his game in a different league. But going by his performances at Celtic, Kouassi is in dire need of a fresh start in his career and Cook must give him a chance.
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Kouassi would be a quality player for Wigan but he is far from the finished product and would need time to take his game to the next level.