Celtic must include Tomas Hubocan in any Moussa Dembele to Marseille deal

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It appears Celtic may be struggling to hold on to striker Moussa Dembele this month. The French striker is being heavily linked with a move to his homeland, with Lyon and Marseille said keen.

The latest reports suggest that Marseille are readying a move, and could send a player Celtic’s way as part of any deal. France Football claims that an offer of up to €20 million (£18.1 million) could be forthcoming, along with the inclusion of attacking midfielder Valere Germain.

Considering Celtic’s wealth of options for the striker role, allowing Dembele to go in such a deal would be good business sense.

However, even better would be if Celtic asked for a different player.

As good as Germain is, it is not an area where Celtic need to improve.

What they need is a centre-back, and Marseille have an experienced international sitting on the sidelines.

The player in question is 32-year-old Slovakian international Tomas Hubocan. The 61-cap international made a name for himself in Russia with Zenit St Petersburg and Dynamo Moscow, winning five major trophies in the East.

But he currently finds himself out of favour at Marseille under manager Rudi Garcia. He spent last season on loan at Trabzonspor and is surely not prepared to sit on the bench at his age.

Celtic need defensive reinforcements after a summer which has seen the Dedryck Boyata transfer saga.

Hubocan brings experience, quality, and strength that Brendan Rodgers needs at the back for Celtic. He would immediately understand what it means to play for such a fierce fanbase, given his past with Zenit, Marseille and Trabzonspor.

If Dembele heads to Marseille, Celtic must not miss the chance to have the Slovakian thrown into the deal.