Signed by Neil Lennon and loaned out by Ange Postecoglou it looks like Brendan Rodgers will be the Celtic manager that sells Ismaila Soro.
According to a report in Portugal, Panathinaikos are showing interested in the midfielder who has a year left on his Celtic contract.
Soro was signed in January 2020 from Bnei Yehuda but never got any game time before the season went into Lockdown with the campaign finishing in mid-March.
There were expectations that the Ivorian midfielder could be a successor to Scott Brown, starting a Europa League tie against Lille in December 2021 alongside David Turnbull he did briefly look the part.
Postecoglou selected Soro for his first SPFL match, away to Hearts with the midfielder starting five European matches but his appearances were limited before the January arrivals of Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley effectively closed to door on his Celtic days.
Sent out on loan to Portuguese side Arouca last season it is unlikely that Rodgers will have plans for Soro as he takes charge of Celtic for a second time with Portuguese website Renascenca reporting:
Panathinaikos is interested in midfielder Ismaila Soro, a player who was loaned by Celtic to Arouca. The deal is very close to coming to fruition.
The Ivory Coast international played in 30 games for Arouca, a team that finished in European places in the I Liga.
Albian Ajeti is the other big earner returning to Celtic after a season out on loan, finding clubs to take the striker or Soro on loan would be a decent outcome with little chance of either player attracting a transfer fee.
? “He can drive, hold up the ball, pass it and break up play, so I’m hoping he can bring all those attributes to the team.” – Neil Lennon on Ismaila Soro.#WelcomeSoro??
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) January 28, 2020
“MISFIT” Cmon. Never got a chance.
He got plenty of chances. Never took them!
Lennon certainly had eclectic tastes in players and some of his signings certainly left a legacy, the second time around,for all the wrong reasons!
Christopher Jullien – £7m, Albian Ajeti – £5m, Vasilas Barkas – £4.5m, Partick Klimala – £3.5m, Boli Bolingoli – £3m, Ismail soro – £2m, Hatem Abd Elhamed – £1.6m.
That’s an average of £3.8m per underwhelming signing!
Investments? Perhaps! Greg Taylor and David turnbull are still with us (for £3.8m combined).
Seems like Celtic needed to step-up as a going concern from the days of Permanent Managerial Appointments being made in the showers at the end of the season!
But have they … ?
Lawwells dross.
Some money for
“Dross”!