Scottish champions Celtic have already bolstered their ranks ahead of the January transfer window with the signings of Yuki Kobayashi and Alistair Johnston, although the indication is that the Parkhead giants will be eyeing further additions over the coming weeks.
Manager Ange Postecoglou and head of recruitment Mark Lawwell are seemingly not keen to rest on their laurels despite the Old Firm outfit’s healthy, nine-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, with the club’s disappointing Champions League campaign having perhaps shown signs that there is still much work to be done to improve the current squad.
One area that may well be prioritised is in the centre of the park, with recent reports suggesting that the Hoops have set aside ‘significant’ funds in order to sign a new midfield recruit, with securing a defensive-minded asset to screen the back four seemingly the ideal target.
The Glasgow side could well have found the answer to that search in the form of Ferencvaros gem, Aissa Laidouni, with French outlet Foot Mercato reporting earlier this week that the 25-year-old is on Lawwell’s radar.
The piece suggests that the Bhoys – as well as Bundesliga side Wolfsburg – are interested in signing the Tunisian in the New Year, with the Hungarian giants prepared to let him depart for a fee of around €4m (£3.5m).
The 6-foot sensation currently has just six months remaining on his existing deal at the club – albeit with the Budapest outfit having the option of triggering a 12-month extension – with that fact ensuring that an exit could well be a real possibility in the near future.
That interest from Postecoglou and co comes amid the 28-cap gem’s sparkling form for his country at the World Cup in recent weeks, with the one-time Angers man having enjoyed a “fantastic tournament” in Qatar, in the words of writer Zach Lowy.
The “midfield revelation” – as described by journalist Maher Mezahi – was a real standout figure as Tunisia narrowly missed out on progression to the knockout stages, having claimed four points from their three group games.
Laidouni proved himself an impressive shield in front of the backline after averaging one tackle and 1.3 interceptions per game from his midfield berth, while also winning a remarkable 75% of his total aerial duels as a marker of his imposing dominance.
Not only an asset defensively, the playmaker also recorded one assist and registered 1.3 key passes per game to illustrate his creative quality, with that solitary goal involvement notably coming in the shock win against holders France in the final group game.
That display against the nation of his birth saw Laidouni notably record three key passes and also provided two interceptions in what was an all-action performance, earning an 8/10 match rating from 90min’s Sean Walsh for having taken ‘control of the midfield battle’.
Such impactful outings on the world stage have rubberstamped the player’s quality, with the aforementioned Lowy having stated that he “won’t be at Ferencvaros for too much longer” after catching the eye so impressively.
The hope will be as far as Celtic are concerned is that it is they who are able to win the race for his signature, with Lawwell needing to do all he can to wrap up the deal next month.