Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has delivered his verdict on Celtic's pursuit of Sheffield United defender George Baldock. 

The lowdown: Celtic interested in Baldock

This comes after the Hoops were once again linked with a move for the Greece international recently, having previously been keen on the experienced right back.

The 29-year-old is believed to be lined up as a possible replacement for Josip Juranovic, who has been targeted by Atletico Madrid during the ongoing summer transfer window.

Upon hearing the speculation, one well-informed pundit has suggested that long-term target Baldock would be a smart choice to strengthen Ange Postecoglou's ranks...

The latest: 'Safe signing'

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League manager McLeish claimed that the four-cap defender could be relied upon to fit in at Parkhead.

The Sky Sports contributor said: “Baldock seems a safe bet, doesn’t he?

“He is a guy who, he won’t be fazed by the size of the club given the amount of experience he has. It should be another one of those shrewd signings. He knows his way about the position with a lot of expertise.

“It seems like a safe signing to me.”

The verdict: Shrewd option

Valued at £3.6m and under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), Baldock represents a likely affordable option for the Bhoys, particularly should Juranovic attract the mooted attention and the £15m asking price.

Boasting a mammoth 379 career club appearances - 70 of which have come in the Premier League - last season the marauding full-back scored once and provided three assists in 27 outings across all competitions.

Capable of playing as a conventional right-back, at left-back and in more advanced roles, Baldock - who was hailed as a 'really intelligent' operator by journalist Josh Bunting in 2019 - earned a 6.67 Sofascore rating whilst winning 3.7 duels, making 1.2 clearances and completing 30.2 accurate passes per Championship game last term. Those figures highlight a well-rounded defensive and attacking prowess.

As certainties in the market go, this is a potential deal which would be as close as that comes, given the 29-year-old's vast experience, current form and ability to play in Postecoglou's system, having previously performed under a similar setup under Chris Wilder.