Celtic can sign new Rogic for “special” star who is “like Odegaard”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will surely be delighted with his team’s impressive level of performance during the 2024/25 season so far.

The Hoops remain unbeaten in the Scottish Premiershiptop the table on 14 points, with 16 wins from 18 matches ahead of the Old Firm’s clash with Rangers this afternoon.

They have also already won the League Cup, beating their Glasgow rivals on penalties in the final at Hampden Park, after failing to secure the trophy last season.

The team’s fantastic form in all competitions this term, however, has not stopped Rodgers from looking to add new players to the squad during the January transfer window, which officially opened earlier this week.

Celtic’s manager is reportedly looking for a reunion with Scotland international Kieran Tierney, with the club said to be considering a pre-contract agreement to sign him in the summer on a free transfer from Arsenal – the side who signed him from the Hoops in 2019.

The Gunners left-back is one of a number of stars who featured consistently for Rodgers during his first spell at Parkhead, with midfielder Tom Rogic another of those players.

Tom Rogic’s form for Brendan Rodgers

The Northern Ireland head coach spent just under three years in Glasgow during his first spell at the club between the summer of 2016 and the start of 2019, before moving to Leicester City.

At that time, Rogić made 105 appearances for Rodgers in the middle of the park, which places him inside the first ten for appearances as a Celtic player for manager – with Tierney, Callum McGregor and James Forrest included in the nine spots ahead of him.

It illustrates just how much faith the Hoops boss had in him as he was a regular in the squad over those three years, turning out week in week out in all competitions.

Rogic, who left the club in the summer of 2022 and retired a year later, was a left-footed central or attacking midfielder who sought to influence matches by boosting goals and assists for his team.

As you can see in the table above, the Australia international has been a consistent performer in the final third as both a scorer and goal creator throughout Rodgers’ time at the club.

Rogic was a proven player who could be trusted to thrive in the upper half of the pitch, and the coach found his new version in Matt O’Riley, who scored 18 goals and 13 assists in the league, last season.

The Danish wizard, of course, left to join Brighton & Hove Albion this summer and Rodgers is back in the hunt for another left-footed wizard to light up his midfield, with interest in Rogic’s Premier League midfielder reported.

Celtic interest in Premier League ace

He recently reported that Boot room that Celtic are one of a host of teams interested in signing Manchester City central midfielder James McAtee in the January transfer window.

The report claims the Hoops have made inquiries about potentially signing the left-wing star, although it is unclear whether it will be a permanent or loan deal, but they face strong competition from a number of clubs across Europe.

Brentford, Atalanta, Fiorentina, Bologna, Fulham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest are just some of the many sides seeking a deal to snap up the England U21 international for the second half of the campaign.

The Boot Room added that Pep Guardiola would prefer to keep hold of the young talent to bolster his squad’s depth, but the Spanish head coach will also not stand in McAtee’s way if the player decides a move away from the Etihad is the best option for him.

This means that it could be difficult for Celtic to complete a deal for a number of reasons, as they will have to convince Manchester City and McAtee to agree to a move, while also fending off interest from a number of teams across Europe’s top leagues.

Why James McAtee could be Tom Rogic 2.0

The Hoops should try hard to win the race for his services as he could arrive at Parkhead as Rogic 2.0 for Rodgers in the second half of the season.

Like the former Celtic star, McAtee is a left-footed midfielder who can play in a central or attacking role and has the quality to make an impact at the top of the pitch by scoring and assisting from the middle of the park.

He didn’t start any of his three He has played for Manchester City in the Premier League so far this season, but has scored four goals and provided one assist in four caps for England at U21 level this term.

McAtee, who was described as “special” Guardiola, also produced three goals and three assists in 20 starts in the English Premier League while on loan at Sheffield United in the 2023/24 season, which speaks to his attacking potential.

However, he achieved his best form in the upper half of the pitch during his loan spell with the Blades in the 2022/23 Championship season, when the young dynamo scored nine goals and created six ‘big chances’ at 21 he starts in the second tier of English football.

As you can see in the table above, McAtee ranks incredibly high among Championship midfielders this term as a scorer and goal creator, as well as a threat in transition with his dribbling skills.

The midfield star’s performances have prompted former Sheffield United striker Carl Asaba to compare him to Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, telling Football paradise podcast: “He is like Odegaard. You play him in the middle and he defends for you, he’s another body they try to get away from, but he loves the ball 30 yards because he can pass you like you’re not there.”

At the age of 22, the Manchester City outcast still has plenty of potential to fulfill and a loan move to Celtic in the second half of the season could help him find his rhythm playing in a dominant team that would allow him to thrive as a striker, as Rogic has done during his time under Rodgers.