The search for Celtic’s new number ten

As the search for the magical creative player continues there are a couple of options close to home- all already on Celtic’s books!

Finding a number 10 similar to Lubo Moravcik or Shunsuke Nakamura will require an awful lot of money, or luck but perhaps a Kris Commons type talent may be more realistic.

Discovering the player that can link together all of the attacking elements would certainly bring a new element to the side with Brendan Rodgers not prepared to compromise his plans by bringing in someone sub-standard.

The speculation over Moussa Dembele has diverted attention from the ‘revolving door’ with the ties against Zenit St Petersburg less than a month away.

While a run in the Europa League would be very welcome from January onwards the focus of Celtic will always be on Champions League qualifiers, assuming that the Premiership title is secured.

Since Lewis Morgan impressed against Celtic in the Scottish Cup he was watched closely, by various scouts as well as by the management team.

All of the players out on loan are being watched, perhaps one of them could be the number 10 to put all of Rodgers’ plans into place.

RYAN CHRISTIE

After a year at Aberdeen he has earned a full Scotland cap and become the most creative player in Derek McInnes’ side.

You can forget any notion of the player moving to Pittodrie on a permanent basis, neither Celtic or the former Caley Thistle man will entertain that prospect.

Some big decisions will have to be made soon, can Christie come in and contribute in the way that Callum McGregor and Stuart Armstrong have?

From a distance Christie looks very very close to what Celtic are searching for but doing it under close scrutiny with Champions League demands is a different matter.

SCOTT ALLAN

He will probably forever be an enigma but the range of skills that he possesses are very close to what Celtic would look for in the number 10.

Judging him on his performances at Dundee and Rotherham is unfair, the type of football played by those clubs is light years away from the demands of Celtic.

At the age of 26 he is still waiting to fulfil the potential that has been hinted at since his late teens with a long list of clubs on his CV.

Early on in his Celtic tenure Rodgers spoke glowingly of working with and developing Allan’s game but with so many midfielders available that plan never got off the ground.

KUNDAI BENYU

It’s a long shot but at the start of the season Brendan Rodgers seemed very taken by the kid he signed from Ipswich.

Getting him into the ways of the professional game wasn’t going to be a quick fix but perhaps his loan spell at Oldham could be as beneficial as Kris Ajer’s time at Kilmarnock.

Oldham are deeply involved in the relegation battle at the bottom of League One but as long as he’s getting game time his game is bound to develop.

There may just be something in his game that can evolve into the sort of attacking play-maker that Rodgers is currently searching for.