Reports from Dutch media have claimed that Celtic are quite interested in Peruvian defensive midfielder Renato Tapia in the January transfer window.
Voetbal International reported that the Hoops are looking at the 24-year-old Feyenoord man as a potential addition this month.
According to Voetbal International, the Rotterdam-based club are eager to sell the player this month as he is no longer in their plans and they are hoping to land a transfer fee for him before his contract expires at the end of the season.
Tapia was playing regularly for Feyenoord earlier in the season when Jaap Stam was in charge but has struggled for game-time since Dick Advocaat became manager at the end of October.
He has played just 32 minutes in their last five Eredivisie games and did not start either of their last two Europa League matches. [via TransferMarkt]
His profile on WhoScored cites aerial duels, dribbling and tackling among his strengths – his domestic match averages for those metrics in 2019/20 are 1.2 successful aerial duels, 1.5 successful tackles and one successful dribble.
In the Europa League, in which Celtic have been playing this season, he has averaged 1.5 successful headers, two successful tackles and 0.5 completed dribbles per game. [via WhoScored]
Scott Brown, who regularly takes up the defensive midfield responsibilities for the Hoops, has match averages of 1.6 successful aerial duels, 2.6 successful tackles and 0.6 successful dribbles (as per WhoScored).
The Celtic skipper has also outperformed Tapia in terms of passing ability in European competition this term. Brown has an 82.4% passing success rate from an average of 55.6 passes per game, whereas the Feyenoord midfielder posted a 77.8% completion rate from his average of 40.5 passes per game.
However, it is worth noting that the Peruvian has a superior passing completion rate of 85.9% in Eredivisie, which is higher than Brown’s European average.
Brown has the advantage on Tapia for a number of midfield metrics, so the Peruvian may need to settle for the role of backup to the Celtic veteran if he swaps Rotterdam for Parkhead.
However, with the Hoops skipper turning 35 in the summer and 24-year-old Tapia valued at a moderate £2.7m on TransferMarkt, the Feyenoord midfielder may be worth considering as an alternative to Brown whenever the captain is unavailable.
Also, with the Eredivisie club keen to offload the player this month, Celtic may even be able to land him for a discounted fee if they move quickly enough.
Celtic fans, do you think Tapia would be a decent alternative to Brown in the Hoops’ midfield or are you unconvinced by him? Have your say by commenting below!
