---
title: "Celtic TT Roundup: Hoops scouting Ismaila Soro and Jarrad Branthwaite as opposition manager lauds Neil Lennon’s team"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/celtic-tt-roundup-hoops-scouting-ismaila-soro-and-jarrad-branthwaite-as-opposition-manager-lauds-neil-lennons-team/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "Features"
published: "2019-12-04T07:10:53Z"
modified: "2019-12-04T07:10:53Z"
---

# Celtic TT Roundup: Hoops scouting Ismaila Soro and Jarrad Branthwaite as opposition manager lauds Neil Lennon’s team

**In this instalment of our TT Roundup, Football Transfer Tavern have gathered three of the biggest stories to have involved Celtic recently and have provided our thoughts on the reports published.**

**Hoops scout Ismaila Soro**

![Celtic manager Neil Lennon](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Celtic-manager-Neil-Lennon-1024x684.jpg)

According to the [Daily Record](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/celtic-track-ismaila-soro-parkhead-21005600), Celtic sent scouts to Israel last weekend to watch £3m-rated midfielder Ismaila Soro.

The 21-year-old Ivorian was playing for Bnei Yehuda in their 2-1 win over Hapoel Be’er Sheva and has been on a list of the Hoops’ transfer targets. \[[via Daily Record](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/celtic-track-ismaila-soro-parkhead-21005600)\]

The [Daily Record](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/celtic-track-ismaila-soro-parkhead-21005600) claims that Soro has caught the eye of manager Neil Lennon and director of football Nick Hammond, with Celtic potentially making a move for him in the January transfer window.

**Verdict**

Defensive midfielder Soro has [started in all but one of Bnei Yehuda’s league games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ismaila-soro/leistungsdaten/spieler/466765) this season and is the latest player in his position to reportedly draw interest from Celtic, following on from Victor Wanyama ([Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/revealed-65000-a-week-pl-star-keen-to-join-celtic-in-january/)), David Turnbull ([Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-celtic-set-sights-on-3m-plus-january-deal/)) and Niklas Dorsch ([The Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/11/09/old-firm-turn-focus-title-new-faces-asneil-lennon-steven-gerrard/)).

Oliver Birch of [Read Celtic](https://readceltic.com/2019/12/02/factfile-who-is-the-3million-rated-ismaila-soro/) described him as “a bundle of energy who is good on the ball and has the ability to jink past players in midfield after dispossessing them”.

Apart from a [handful of Europa League qualifiers](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ismaila-soro/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/466765), he is [untested outside of Eastern European leagues](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ismaila-soro/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/466765), although the Hoops [raided the Israeli league for Hatem Abd Elhamed](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/hatem-abd-elhamed/transfers/spieler/176990) last summer and he has been a [regular in their excellent European campaign](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/hatem-abd-elhamed/leistungsdaten/spieler/176990) to date.

**Nick Hammond watches Jarrad Branthwaite in action**

![General view outside the stadium before the Celtic v RB Leipzig Europa League - Group Stage - Group B match, 2018](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/General-view-outside-the-stadium-before-the-Celtic-v-RB-Leipzig-Europa-League-Group-Stage-Group-B-match-2018-1024x683.jpg)

Celtic’s director of football Nick Hammond has made a visit to Carlisle in person to watch teenage defender Jarrad Branthwaite in action, according to [The Scottish Sun](https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/5021200/celtic-rangers-tracking-carlisle-jarrad-branthwaite/).

[Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/exclusive-celtic-in-hunt-to-sign-6ft-4in-colossus-at-english-club-in-january/) had reported last month that the Hoops were keeping tabs on the 17-year-old and [The Scottish Sun](https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/5021200/celtic-rangers-tracking-carlisle-jarrad-branthwaite/) has since claimed that scouting of the £1m-rated centre-back has begun.

There could be a transfer tug-of-war for the teenager’s services, though, with [The Scottish Sun](https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/5021200/celtic-rangers-tracking-carlisle-jarrad-branthwaite/) adding that Rangers have also sent scouts to watch him.

**Verdict**

Branthwaite, a [6 ft 4](https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/5021200/celtic-rangers-tracking-carlisle-jarrad-branthwaite/) centre-back, has broken through at Carlisle this season, making six starts in League Two for Steven Pressley’s side after his debut against Blackpool in the EFL trophy. \[[via TransferMarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jarrad-branthwaite/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/661053/verein/1220)\]

The manager described his performance against Plymouth last month as “[outstanding](https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/sport/17982474.17-year-old-making-league-debut-outstanding---praise-carlisle-utd-defender-jarrad-branthwaite/)“, while he has won [15 aerial duels in six league matches](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/381045/MatchStatistics/Jarrad-Branthwaite) so far this term, attesting to his strength in the air.

However, with him only [starting out now at English League Two level](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jarrad-branthwaite/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/661053), he would likely join young Celtic defender Lee O’Connor in [needing to bide his time before getting his chance in the first team](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/celtic-glasgow/leistungsdaten/verein/371).

**Hamilton manager has high praise for Celtic**

![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Celtic-safe-standibg-1024x604.jpg)

Hamilton manager Brian Rice is under no illusions about the size of the task facing his team as they travel to Parkhead to face Celtic on Wednesday night.

Speaking to [PA](https://pa.media/) \[[via Sports Mole](https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/hamilton-academical/news/brian-rice-celtic-are-streamrollering-teams_381442.html)\], he said that the fixture is “as hard a game as we could possibly get” and spoke of the attacking threat that the Hoops pose.

He told [PA](https://pa.media/) \[[via Sports Mole](https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/hamilton-academical/news/brian-rice-celtic-are-streamrollering-teams_381442.html)\]: “They are steamrollering teams. The goals they have scored in the last games – sixes, fours and fives. And that is not counting the chances they are missing and hitting the woodwork and whatever.”

**Verdict**

Rice is understandably wary of Celtic’s attacking potential, with the Hoops scoring [11 goals in their last three games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/celtic-glasgow/spielplandatum/verein/371) and hitting [four or more in a game on 10 occasions](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/celtic-glasgow/spielplandatum/verein/371) already this season.

That ruthless nature is what has Neil Lennon’s team top of the Premiership at the moment, with their 44-goal haul one ahead of Rangers, with whom they are level on points (as per [Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/scottish-premier-table)).

However, when Celtic travelled to Hamilton earlier in the season, they had to [work hard for a 1-0 win](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49617946), so Rice’s team shouldn’t be dismissed completely despite their lowly [ninth position](https://www.skysports.com/scottish-premier-table).

***Celtic fans, what are your thoughts on these stories? Let us know in the comments section below!***