da dobrowin： Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has been handed a significant boost ahead of Sunday's Old Firm tussle at Hampden Park, with the Greek-Aussie confirming that Reo Hatate, Jota and LIel Abada are all set to be in contention to make their return from injury.
da bet7： In the case of the latter man, the Israeli international has not featured in any of the Parkhead outfit's last four Scottish Premiership games, having previously racked up ten goals and five assists in 29 top-flight appearances so far this term.
Clearly a real "handful" and a "goal threat" – in the words of his manager – the 21-year-old has unsurprisingly attracted significant interest as a result of his standout displays, with recent reports suggesting that the winger could be set for a summer exit, with a fee of around £10m having been mooted.
This comes amid claims that the former Maccabi Petah Tikva ace has turned down a new contract at the club, with that only serving to heighten the belief that the £3.6m addition could be on his way at the end of the season.
Any concern with regard to the prospect of losing the £15k-per-week man could well be eased, however, by the fact that the Hoops could have already identified a dream replacement, with The Scottish Sun reporting that AEK Athens marksman, Levi Garcia, is of interest to the Glasgow giants.
The report suggests that Postecoglou and co are 'keeping tabs' on the Trinidad and Tobago international ahead of the summer window, amid the 'ongoing uncertainty' surrounding Abada's future at Paradise.
What is Levi Garcia's style of play?
While Garcia has typically operated in a centre-forward berth so far this season, the 25-year-old would also represent a fine replacement for Abada due to his ability to feature on the flanks, having been hailed for his "great speed" and "powerful shot" by former US soccer star Earnie Stewart.
Much like the current Celtic wide man, the £3m-rated speedster also possesses a real goal threat having bagged 18 goals and six assists in 33 games across all fronts this term, taking his overall tally for the Greek side to 51 goal involvements in just 107 outings.
The former AZ Alkmaar man – who boasts a haul of eight goals in 37 games for his country to date – has seemingly been a figure to look out for in recent years, having been included in Four Four Two's list of the 100 best teenagers in the world back in 2017 – ranking 37th on the list.
As the publication noted at the time, the then-youngster was said to have been 'tipped for greatness' by Dutch legend Marco van Basten, having also been lauded for his 'sprinter's pace' and 'hypnotic trickery'.
Although Garcia may not have quite hit the heights that may have been expected of him, the 6 foot ace has begun to flourish in his current home, ensuring he could represent a real coup as far as Postecoglou is concerned.
While there may be fears about just how effectively the title-winning coach will be able to replace Abada, the case of Josip Juranovic, for instance, should ease those concerns, with the former Celtic Park star having been swiftly forgotten about due to Alistair Johnston – the latter man proving a "definite upgrade", according to club legend Stiliyan Petrov.
As such, Postecoglou could again showcase his "exceptional" recruitment – as hailed by ex-Bhoys skipper Scott Brown – by showing Abada the door for a profit, before plugging that gap with the addition of the lively Garcia.