CELTIC SET FOR AMBITIOUS SWOOP FOR PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE-WINNER

11/08/2018 11:54

Having been held 1-1 at home by AEK Athens on Wednesday night, Celtic’s hopes of qualifying for the group stages of the Champions League lay in the balance, with a big performance needed in the return leg in Greece next week.

Failure to make it through this round or the one that follows could have serious repercussions for the Scottish giants’ ability to strengthen their squad, both financially and in terms of attracting the sort of players who can come in and improve the team.

 

One man capable of making a real impact at Celtic Park and who is desperate to seal a move away from Stamford Bridge before the end of August is Danny Drinkwater, with the Blues’ acquisitions of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic further restricting his playing time.

A shock Premier League title winner with Leicester back in 2015/16, the former Manchester United youngster missed only three top-flight matches for the Foxes during that stunning campaign, including one of only a trio of defeats that they suffered along the way:

DANIEL DRINKWATER
     
CLUBLEICESTER CITY   AGE28Y 5M
POSMID   HEIGHT5FT 10IN
     
       
2015/16
  
WITH
WITHOUT
 
 
Matches
 
35
 
3
 
 
Win %
 
60%
 
67%
 
 
Draw %
 
34%
 
 
Loss %
 
6%
 
33%
 
 
Avg Goal for
 
1.8
 
2
 
 
Avg Goals against
 
0.9
 
1.3
 
 
Mins per goal for
 
50.8
 
45
 
 
Mins per goal against
 
98.4
 
67.5
 
 
Shots for per game
 
10.2
 
12.3
 
 
Points per game
 
2.1
 
2
 
 
Clean sheets
 
15
 
 
TOTAL
 
7
 
4
 
 

Since moving to Chelsea, however, the 28-year-old has been chronically underutilised, making a mere 12 appearances in the Premier League and watching his chances of playing for England at the World Cup fall by the wayside.

Although a permanent move for the tough-tackling, ball-playing central midfielder would be out of the question, a season-long loan deal has to be seen as a possibility, though Celtic would unlikely be willing to contribute more than £25,000 to his £90,000 per week wages:

     
DANIEL
DRINKWATER		 V DANIEL
DRINKWATER
 
LEICESTER CITY   LEICESTER CITY
MID   28Y 5M   5FT 10IN   MID   28Y 5M   5FT 10IN
     
       
Aug 2014 - May 2017
  
DRINKWATER
DRINKWATER
 
 
Starts
 
78
 
10
 
 
Minutes played
 
6998
 
886
 
 
Goals
 
3
 
 
Assists
 
8
 
1
 
 
Opening goals
 
1
 
 
Winning goals
 
2
 
 
Home goals
 
2
 
 
Away goals
 
1
 
 
Goals with feet
 
3
 
 
Goals with head
 
 
0
 
Minutes per goal
 
2333
 
 
TOTAL
 
10
 
 

Having clocked up 78 top-flight appearances and a further ten on the continental stage during his time with the Foxes, Drinkwater would certainly bring experience to the middle of the park, but Celtic must be able to offer Champions League football if they are to attract him.

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