Why Celtic must go all out to sign Giannis Bouzoukis in January

According to Greek news outlet SDNA (h/t The Scottish Sun), Celtic are monitoring Panathinaikos star Giannis Bouzoukis. The Hoops recruitment chief Nick Hammond sent scouts to watch the 21-year-old in action for Panathinaikos’ 2-0 victory over Lamia on Saturday.

Giannis Bouzoukis, 21, is a versatile midfielder and in 15 games this season he played in a number of roles. The youngster is an academy graduate at Panathinaikos and has a contract with the Greek club until 2022.

Last season, the Greek caught the eyes of Benfica, Ajax, Villarreal and Getafe, the report adds. (h/t The Scottish Sun)

Celtic, meanwhile, are flying in the Premiership and have also reached Europa League’s round of 32. Neil Lennon’s side were paired with FC Copenhagen in the last 32 of the Europa League earlier this week.

However, the Hoops desperately need some reinforcements at the striker department and easing the burden off ace Odsonne Edouard would be a big help.

In addition to a centre-forward, Lennon should also look to recruit a midfielder in January, as he can’t just rely on Callum McGregor and Scott Brown in the middle of the park.

McGregor and Brown have forged a strong partnership in the middle of the park, establishing themselves as undisputed starters under Lennon.

Beyond them, Celtic do have a couple of options in central midfield in Olivier Ntcham and Nir Bitton but as the club have to maintain a balance between their domestic duties and European adventure, Lennon mustn’t hesitate to bring in a new midfielder. Keeping that in mind, the Hoops must go all out for Giannis Bouzoukis.

A creative midfielder by trade, Bouzoukis can also play in a more central role due to his passing attributes. The 21-year-old is a talented player and would be an exciting addition for Celtic, complementing the current crop of prodigious talents under Lennon.

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• Why Celtic should plot a January swoop for Andraz Sporar
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Jeremie Frimpong, on loan from Manchester City, has already featured as a starter in several games this season which does indicate Lennon’s willingness to promote young guns.

To that end, Bouzoukis, who is already highly regarded in Greece, is capable of being the next youngster to make his mark at Parkhead.

Verdict

Celtic must aim to strengthen their squad over January to compete on all fronts this season. Signing Bouzoukis certainly will be the right move and the Hoops could have a gem on their hands in the years to come.