--- title: "Celtic: Eboue Kouassi lined up for possible Panathinaikos move" canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/celtic-eboue-kouassi-lined-up-for-possible-panathinaikos-move/" type: "post" language: "en-GB" author: "Liam Togher" section: "SPFL News" published: "2019-09-17T20:05:49Z" modified: "2019-09-17T20:05:49Z" --- # Celtic: Eboue Kouassi lined up for possible Panathinaikos move **Celtic midfielder Eboue Kouassi has emerged as a transfer target for Greek Super League club Panathinaikos and could be in line for a mid-season move.** [Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/revealed-euro-club-line-up-transfer-missions-for-3m-celtic-player-ahead-of-january/) reported that Panathinaikos intend to closely monitor the 21-year-old ahead of a possible transfer in January. According to [Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/revealed-euro-club-line-up-transfer-missions-for-3m-celtic-player-ahead-of-january/), the Greek club considered making a bid for Kouassi during the summer but relented due to the player’s ongoing recovery from a cruciate ligament injury. [Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/revealed-euro-club-line-up-transfer-missions-for-3m-celtic-player-ahead-of-january/) added that Celtic are open to sending the defensive midfielder out on loan, although it remains unclear if they would entertain a permanent move for him. ![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/THE-BREAKDOWN.png) Celtic [completed the signing of Kouassi from FC Krasnodar in January 2017](https://www.celticfc.net/news/11927), with [STV Sport](https://stv.tv/sport/football/1377171-celtic-agree-3m-fee-with-krasnodar-for-kouassi-eboue/) reporting the fee to be roughly £3m. The [Ivorian midfielder](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/eboue-kouassi/profil/spieler/314137) has struggled to gain regular first team football with the Hoops, making just 22 appearances since coming to the club and failing to score, providing a solitary assist. \[[via TransferMarkt.co.uk](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/eboue-kouassi/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/314137)\] He had made [five appearances last season](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/eboue-kouassi/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/314137) before suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury against Hearts in October which ruled him out for the rest of the campaign, as reported by [Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11787/11542631/eboue-kouassi-to-miss-rest-of-celtic-season-with-cruciate-ligament-injury). His entire Celtic career has incorporated [966 minutes of game time](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/eboue-kouassi/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/314137/verein/371) in more than two and a half years, albeit with the bulk of one year written off to his long-term injury. To put that into context, [seven Hoops players have already played more than that this season](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/celtic-glasgow/leistungsdaten/verein/371). Boli Bolingoli, who only [came to the club in July](https://www.celticfc.net/news/16401), has amassed [1,084 minutes](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/celtic-glasgow/leistungsdaten/verein/371) in a Celtic career that is currently two and a half months old. In July, the [Daily Record](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/neil-lennon-reveals-kieran-tierney-18699194) reported quotes from manager Neil Lennon saying that Kouassi was back in training, but the 21-year-old has not featured this season and the Celtic boss told [The Scottish Sun](https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/4721890/celtic-victor-wanyama-neil-lennon-transfer-news/) that he was interested in bringing defensive midfielder Victor Wanyama back to the club and could make a move for him in January. ![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Verdict.png) Even before Kouassi’s cruciate ligament injury, he found it quite difficult to hold down a place in Celtic’s first team, while Lennon’s interest in Wanyama seems to indicate that he would rather have the [Tottenham man](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/victor-wanyama/profil/spieler/77760) than Kouassi in his squad. However, Wanyama has had his own share of injury troubles, having missed [four months with a knee injury in 2017/18](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/victor-wanyama/verletzungen/spieler/77760), and has [not played for his club so far this season](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/victor-wanyama/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/77760). Also, with Nir Bitton [regularly moved to centre-back](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/nir-bitton/leistungsdaten/spieler/129788) and Luca Connell [yet to play for the first team](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/luca-connell/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/580027), Lennon took to fielding [central midfielder Scott Brown and attacking midfielder Callum McGregor](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/celtic-glasgow/leistungsdaten/verein/371) in the [defensive midfield area against Hamilton last Saturday](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/3201266). With Celtic rather light in defensive midfield options as it is, Kouassi should not be jettisoned even though he has been a peripheral figure at the club so far. ***Celtic fans, should the club try to keep Kouassi or is it time to move him on in January? Join in the discussion by commenting below!***