Celtic are pushing ahead with negotiations to land Lorient winger Joel Mvuka as the transfer window heads towards its close, according to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph.
The journalist says the 23 year old is getting closer to completing a move to Parkhead, with talks well progressed and only the final elements of the deal still to be agreed before Monday night’s deadline. Mvuka is understood to be open to the switch, believing regular football in Glasgow could boost his chances of forcing his way into Norway’s World Cup squad this summer.
While the deal looks likely to be wrapped up, Mvuka would arrive with question marks over his end product. The winger has never scored more than three league goals in a single season and has only surpassed three assists once in his career, when he registered eight during Bodo Glimt’s 2022 Eliteserien campaign.
Celtic continue winger search
Celtic’s business may not stop with Mvuka, as the club have been linked with several other wide attackers. Frosinone winger Fares Ghedjemis has been mentioned as a possible £6.5m target, though it remains uncertain whether the Hoops are prepared to spend that figure before the deadline.
One of Celtic’s priorities has been to recruit a left footed option on the right flank. Ghedjemis fits that profile, while Mvuka is right footed, suggesting further additions could still be on the agenda.
The Daily Record reports that Celtic are also in late discussions with Dunajska Streda over Hungarian winger Damir Redzic. The Slovakian club are believed to be in talks with the Scottish champions about a potential £6m move. Sky Sports have since confirmed that negotiations are taking place, although it is still unclear whether Celtic will complete more than one winger signing.
Why Redzic could be the better fit
Even if Mvuka arrives, Celtic would be wise to continue their pursuit of Redzic. The Hoops have lacked a natural left footed right winger since selling Nicolas Kuhn to Como last summer. Current options Hyun jun Yang and James Forrest are both right footed and have struggled to match Kuhn’s attacking output.
Since Kuhn’s departure, Celtic have seen a drop in productivity from the right side, with Yang and Forrest combining for only a handful of goals and assists in the league. Mvuka’s modest scoring record suggests he may not immediately solve that issue, nor provide the balance that a left footed winger would bring.
Redzic, on the other hand, has been praised for his direct threat cutting in from the right. His coach Frazer Robertson recently described him as a constant danger in front of goal, and his numbers back that up. The 22 year old has scored seven goals in 14 league matches this season, adding two more in cup competition to make nine in 15 appearances overall.
By comparison, Mvuka has scored just eight goals across all competitions since the start of the 2022 23 season for both Lorient and Bodo Glimt. On current form, Redzic appears the more potent option and offers the left footed profile Celtic have been missing.
That is why the Hoops may still look to push ahead with a move for the Hungarian winger, even if Mvuka completes his switch from France before the deadline.