Why it’s ‘No thanks Brendan’ to Benkovic loan deal

Brendan Rodgers has admitted that Filip Benkovic could be sent out on loan leading to speculation that the defender could return to Celtic.

The former Dinamo Zagreb defender arrived at Celtic at the end of the summer 2018 transfer window and featured regularly in the side under former manager Brendan Rodgers.

At that time, following a disastrous transfer window, Rodgers was left with Dedryck Boyata in the final months of his contract and the injury prone Jozo Simunovic as his first-choice central defenders with Kris Ajer and Jack Hendry as back-up.

Fortunately, Celtic are in a far stronger position in that area of the park with Ajer and Christopher Jullien the first-choice pairing backed up by Hatem Abd Elhamed and Nir Bitton.

Bringing in Benkovic, largely for the benefit of Leicester, makes little sense with Neil Lennon aiming to have a settled central defence going into next season’s UEFA qualifiers. Something that the club hasn’t had in the last four seasons.

So far this season the defender has played one competitive match- an u-21 match away to Scunthorpe- despite Leicester selling Harry Maguire without bringing in any replacements.

Discussing Benkovic at today’s Leicester City media conference, The Sun reports Rodgers saying:

He’s been good. He played away at Tottenham with the Under-23s [last week]. He’ll play in some more of their games. For Filip, it’s a very difficult position for him. He’s fighting every day to be fitter and stronger.

We’ll see where he’s at in January, whether he needs games with more pressure, or whether he stays and is that support player should anything happen.

Last season Benkovic appeared in 20 of Celtic’s 38 SPFL Premiership fixtures.

Under Lennon Celtic’s use of the loan market has altered dramatically. Rather than developing prospects for other club’s the deals for Mo Elyounoussi and Fraser Forster has provided time-served, experienced first team starters in positions that Lennon felt needed improved.