Brendan Rodgers has had to oversee a lot of change on the left side of his Celtic squad, at left-back in particular, during the summer transfer window so far.
The Hoops have already added one new left-back to the team in the form of Kieran Tierney, who has returned to Parkhead on a free transfer from Premier League giants Arsenal, six years on from his initial move to the Gunners from Glasgow.
Tierney, who won five Scottish Premiership titles during his first spell at the club after coming through the academy, will be aiming to nail down a position as the first-choice left-back at Celtic once again.
The Scotland international looks set to replace compatriot Greg Taylor, who is leaving the Scottish giants this summer upon the expiry of his contract.
Fabrizio Romano, as shown in the post above, recently confirmed that the full-back has agreed a deal to sign for Greek side PAOK ahead of next season.
Another left-back who has moved on from Parkhead this summer is Jeffrey Schlupp, who spent the second half of the season on loan from Crystal Palace, and the club must now avoid a permanent deal for him.
Why Celtic should not sign Jeffrey Schlupp
The Eagles confirmed at the end of May that the left-back would not be getting a new contract at Selhurst Park, which means that he will be available on a free transfer.
Schlupp made 14 appearances, starting eight of those games, in the Premiership and the Champions League for the Hoops, and his best performance for the club came in the second leg of their Champions League play-off clash with Bayern Munich.
Minutes
90
Clearances
9
Blocks
1
Interceptions
5
Tackles
6
Dribbled past
1x
Ground duels won
7/8
Aerial duels won
1/2
As you can see in the table above, the Palace loanee was incredibly dominant defensively up against the mercurial Michael Olise on the right wing for Bayern, winning the majority of his duels and making 11 tackles and interceptions, whilst being dribbled past just once.
Despite that impressive showing from the Ghana international, Celtic also have to plan for the future and signing a 32-year-old, who turns 33 in December, on a permanent multi-year contract may not be the best move that they can make this summer.
Therefore, supporters should be happy to read that the Hoops are reportedly closing in on the signing of an alternative target who could be an even better signing than Schlupp.
Celtic schedule medical to complete new signing
According to Sponichi, Celtic are closing in on a deal to sign Albirex Niigata defender Hayato Inamura to bolster their options at the back ahead of next season.
The report claims that the left-footed star’s last match for his club was the 4-0 defeat to Machida on Sunday, as he played 90 minutes as a centre-back in the loss.
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It adds that the two clubs have already reached an agreement in principle over a transfer for the 23-year-old talent, and that a move will officially go through in the coming week.
Sponichi reveals that the Japanese defender will travel to Scotland at the start of the coming week to undergo a medical with the Hoops before putting pen to paper on a permanent switch to Glasgow.
This means that Celtic are set to sign the versatile Niigata ace in the coming days, with a medical scheduled and a fee agreed, and he could come in as an even better signing than Schlupp.
Why Inamura will be a better signing than Schlupp for Celtic
As aforementioned, the former Palace loanee turns 33 later this year and would only come in as a stop-gap signing to provide cover in the short term, which is also what he did during his loan spell.
Schlupp would not be a signing with a view to the future because, at his age, he is unlikely to develop much further, if at all, and does not have the potential to grow into being the first-choice after Tierney’s second spell comes to an end.
Inamura, however, is nine years younger than the Ghana international and, therefore, has far more time on his hands to develop and improve as a player during his time in Glasgow.
He is five years younger than Tierney and could, therefore, eventually be his successor if he kicks on and improves at Celtic, whilst initially coming in as a back-up option.
Inamura is usually deployed as a centre-back by Niigata, but Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph noted that he can also play as a left-back. His statistics in the J1 League this season also suggest that he would be well-suited to playing that role for the Hoops.
Assists
0.07
Top 8%
Pass accuracy
87%
Top 29%
Accurate long passes
5.75
Top 5%
Long pass accuracy
47%
Top 19%
Chances created
0.42
Top 18%
Cross accuracy
50%
Top 15%
As you can see in the table above, the soon-to-be Celtic signing ranks incredibly highly among his positional peers in a host of possession-based metrics, which speaks to his ability on the ball.
His ability to successfully complete crosses at an impressive rate and to consistently create chances for his teammates from a centre-back position suggests that he could be well-suited to playing as a left-back for the Hoops, which would allow him to showcase his in-possession qualities.
Inamura, who analyst Rio Nakagawara claimed has “fantastic ball progression” as a passer and carrier, appears to have the technical qualities to thrive in Glasgow.
His positional flexibility also makes him an attractive target, as he can play at centre-back or left-back, and that is another reason why he would be an even better signing than Schlupp, who was not a central defensive option for Rodgers.
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Overall, signing Inamura seems to make more sense for the Premiership champions because of his age profile, his positional flexibility, and his quality on the ball.
