Celtic Targeting Turkish Midfielder Available for €10m

Celtic have seemed extremely active so far this summer transfer window in finding targets and reaching out to them, but as of this moment, there have not been any official moves made by the club as they continue to search for the best options.

Their group of targets is predominantly young talents all around, so clearly they are looking to add via the development route, rather than going after established talents.

One such player who falls into that category is Demir Tiknaz, a midfielder who was on loan at Rio Ave from Besiktas. The current situation is that his loan will end this summer but it is believed that the Portuguese club have a €5 million buyout option.

There have been suggestions in the Portuguese media that Rio Ave could take up that option and then immediately make him available for double the figure.

What will make this intriguing is that Tiknaz is only 20 years old, so he has plenty of time to develop into an even more impressive talent.

What Would Demir Tiknaz Bring to the Table for Celtic?

As a player, Tiknaz has a pretty solid baseline when it comes to the abilities he has on the pitch. According to FBRef, among midfielders, he is 99th percentile in interceptions (2.14 per 90), 92nd percentile in non-penalty goals (0.18 per 90), 83rd percentile in blocks (1.55 per 90), and 81st percentile in clearances (2.19 per 90).

This mix of attack and defence in the midfield makes him an extremely promising player, and while his passing could still use some work, Celtic has plenty of players who can benefit from having a player like him around in the middle of the park.

Seeing any young midfielder who has strong talent on the defensive end as well as some flashes of promise on the offensive end makes for a really fun combination. This model of player is something that any club can build off of, and frankly, odds are he would get some minutes almost immediately for Celtic, especially if Reo Hatate misses any time due to injury.