According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are keeping tabs on Atletico Madrid youngster Rodrigo Riquelme.
What’s the word?
The 20-year-old has made just two appearances for the La Liga giants’ first-team this season, and that only combined for 30 minutes of senior football.
Now, The Scottish Sun claim that Celtic scouts have been watching Riquelme during his time with Atletico’s development sides, and that Neil Lennon is “believed to be aware of the highly-rated youngster’s availability”.
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The report adds that with the starlet’s contract with Diego Simeone’s side expiring this summer, Celtic would be able to sign him for nothing.
Exciting
Whilst he may not have enjoyed a real breakthrough into the Atletico first-team this year, he has certainly shown a lot during his time with the youth sides that he has a lot of potential.
In just seven games in the UEFA Youth League for example, he has scored twice and provided a further four assists, and it’s been no surprise that he has earned some rave reviews for his ability.
Former Atletico academy director Miguel Angel Ruiz waxed lyrical about the Spaniard last year, and talked up how he could potentially be a game-changer with his style of play. He said: “In my view, he is a ‘trequartista’, either on the right, left or in the centre, but always behind the strikers.
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“His change of pace is brutal and is something that could differentiate him with others in his age group. He has speed, change of pace and ability to overpower an opponent in one-on-one situations.”
Taking a chance on a young prodigy like Riquelme could be the kind of Peter Lawwell masterclass that Celtic look back on a few years and point to as a superb piece of business. Getting him on a free transfer, and then seeing him become a bona-fide star for the club and then even potentially selling him for a massive profit, would be a major coup.
Meanwhile, Celtic must beat Rangers to the signing of this ace.