Celtic must abandon centre-back plans and sign a

There’s been a carousel of centre-backs at Celtic in recent years, a raft of players all failing to nail down that starting role alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Ever since the exit of Carl Starfelt, the Scottish champions have tried it all in that department, snapping up the likes of Yuki Kobayashi, Nat Phillips (loan), Gustav Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki, among others.

That latter pair bizarrely didn’t even get a look in under Brendan Rodgers, with Nawrocki only recently joining a Lens side who finished second in Ligue 1 last season. Go figure.

With the new season now underway, Martin O’Neill has suggested that he’s “happy” with his pool of centre-backs as things stand – but should he be?

Why Celtic could be making a mistake with centre-back situation

There’s no question that Carter-Vickers has been Celtic’s best centre-back since the days of Virgil van Dijk, the United States international arguably the “best defender in Scotland” when fit and firing, in the view of Ange Postecoglou.

The issue is keeping the 28-year-old injury-free, however, with the former Tottenham Hotspur man undergoing knee surgery at the tail-end of 2022/2023, while also enduring a hamstring injury in 2023/24.

Last season’s Achilles rupture was most damaging, however, with Carter-Vickers admitting himself this week that he is still a “work in progress”, having missed the majority of 2025/26.

He’ll need his minutes managing, ensuring one of Liam Scales or Auston Trusty is likely to have to line up in an unsuited right centre-back again, a shift that doesn’t appear to suit either left-footer.

The only other ‘senior’ alternative is Dane Murray, the academy graduate notably impressing under O’Neill in the 1-0 win away at Stuttgart last season.

And yet, the abiding memory of Murray is his Tynecastle horror show early last season, or his Ibrox woes back in March, and at 23, this isn’t exactly a raw, young prospect who’s only just learning his craft.

A period on the sidelines for Carter-Vickers could then leave the Parkhead side looking particularly light in that department, hence why a fifth centre-back wouldn’t go amiss.

How Celtic can sign a “young Virgil van Dijk”

Perhaps the most telling example of Celtic’s centre-back woes was centred around the loan signing of Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, with the youngster joining from Manchester City last summer.

Tipped to be the next Jason Denayer, Dedryck Boyata or Jeremie Frimpong in Glasgow, the Englishman went on to play just once for the Hoops, having been short of match fitness upon arrival. He’s since secured a permanent move to Bundesliga side FC Koln, following a six-month loan stint.

The Parkhead side did at least see more from his replacement, Benjamin Arthur, the 20-year-old featuring six times under O’Neill following his January loan switch from Brentford.

As reported by Football Insider, Celtic are now said to be keen on a reunion, with there a chance that the Premier League outfit could allow Arthur to return to Glasgow on another loan deal.

O’Neill is said to be particularly keen to bring the 6 foot 4 starlet back into the fold, with the Premiership side having already seen a bid rejected by the west Londoners.

While the young Englishman did only make four league appearances in green and white, O’Neill seemingly liked what he saw, the 74-year-old believed to be the ‘driving force’ behind this move.

Securing another loan for Arthur could be a real coup, even if he has only nine senior career appearances to date, with there a real talent there waiting to explode.

In the view of Dundee boss Steven Pressley, who previously worked with the centre-back at Brentford, Arthur is almost like a “young Virgil van Dijk“, such is his profile and physical prowess.

That comparison is not without merit too, with even Arthur’s brief outings last season providing enough reason to be encouraged.

In the Premiership, for instance, he remarkably won 87% of his aerial duels and 71% of his ground duels, looking like a real dominant force in the backline as he also averaged 7.3 clearances per game.

For context, in the Premier League last season, Van Dijk won 70% of his ground duels and 74% of his aerial duels, alongside making 7.2 clearances on average, having long been the leading central defender in English football.

Where Arthur also mirrors the former Celtic hero is in his ball-playing quality, boasting an 89% pass accuracy rate, including a 95% pass completion inside his own half.

That again compares nicely to Van Dijk, the towering Dutchman recording an 89% pass rate himself, as well as 96% pass accuracy inside his own half.

That statistical likeness, even if just based on a small sample size, bodes well for what Arthur could offer across an entire season, with it yet to be seen whether Murray can really be the right-sided understudy to Carter-Vickers that Celtic so desperately need.