Should Celtic consider free agent with 45 Croatia caps to solve problem area?

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Kieran Tierney’s departure has seen Celtic struggle to replace the quality that the new Arsenal star brought to the team. Boli Bolingoli has improved in recent weeks, but the £3million summer signing is still a long way off Tierney.

Romelu Lukaku’s cousin, Bolingoli, is good going forward and has plenty of pace, but defensively he is shaky and is yet to provide the same attacking pedigree that saw Tierney produce assist after assist from the left flank.

Without Bolingoli, Celtic are light at left-back. Calvin Miller is out for the season, while Emilio Izaguirre left at the end of last season. A new left-back is needed, and a free agent signing should be considered by Neil Lennon.

AC Milan opted to release 32-year-old left-back Ivan Strinic at the end of last season, and the 45-time Croatia international is still yet to find a new club. Despite his age, Strinic is an excellent defender.

So much so, that Strinic was part of the Croatia side that made it all the way to the World Cup final in the summer of 2018. He started six of their seven matches in Russia, and played 81 minutes of the final defeat to France.

His form at the World Cup earned him a move to AC Milan, but soon after the joining the Serie A side, Strinic was diagnosed with what is known as ‘athlete’s heart’. It prevented him from playing until November, before he got the all-clear.

He sat on the bench 10 times for Milan without making his debut, before an ankle injury prevented him from playing at all during 2018-19. Now, a free agent, Strinic is looking to further his career with a new club.

Celtic have got to give Strinic a chance, despite his last competitive game being the World Cup final. Indeed, he is defensively solid, excellent going forward, superb from set-pieces and has enormous experience – including 39 outings for Napoli.

Signing Strinic would be a risk, but it would be a superb move on a free.