Greek club keen on signing Celtic’s 2020 misfit

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.