‘Would be a shrewd acquisition’ – Celtic eyeing move for Derby County star: The Verdict | OneFootball

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Football League World

·26 October 2021

‘Would be a shrewd acquisition’ – Celtic eyeing move for Derby County star: The Verdict

Article image:‘Would be a shrewd acquisition’ – Celtic eyeing move for Derby County star: The Verdict

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Former Scottish Premiership champions Celtic are continuing to monitor Lee Buchanan’s situation at Derby County ahead of a potential move, according to The Sun.


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As per the same outlet, the Bhoys opted to send top scout Mick Doherty to watch the 20-year-old in action less than a fortnight ago, with interested teams failing to land the left-back in the summer.

However, the Rams are currently in administration and could be forced to cash in on one of their prized assets if their takeover saga drags on until the next calendar year, although a formal bid from US businessman Chris Kirchner could help to put an end to months of off-the-pitch turmoil at Pride Park.

Quiz: Do you know what club these 28 ex-Derby County players are playing at now?

Not all problems can be swept away immediately though, with Buchanan’s contract running out next summer and the East Midlands outfit in real danger of losing him on the expiration of his contract if he refuses to sign new terms.

Whether Derby remain in the Championship or not could be crucial in determining whether the young full-back remains with the club, although a potential nine-point deduction on top of their existing administration punishment could end Wayne Rooney’s side’s hopes of retaining him.

Looking at this potential deal from a Celtic point-of-view though, there are two key questions that need to be answered as they consider a move for Buchanan.

Would he be a good signing? And is he good enough to ply his trade for Ange Postecoglou’s men?

We asked three of our writers at Football League World for their verdict.

Marcus Ally

If there is a firesale at Derby County in the January transfer window, sadly Lee Buchanan will be high on a lot of clubs’ shortlists.

The 20-year-old has made the step up to senior football very impressively with the Rams in a high-pressure environment and has a lot of development ahead of him.

There is a lot of competition at the back for Celtic and staying at Derby competing for the left-back berth with experienced Championship campaigner Craig Forsyth would be wise.

Buchanan is definitely good enough for Celtic in my mind and would be a shrewd acquisition. However, the 20-year-old may have better options.

Derby have the potential to do something very special this season and though still against the odds, the Rams will still be believing they can stay up in the second tier this term.

If the Rams can afford to keep him they should, they will receive a fee at the end of the season regardless.

Jordan Rushworth

Lee Buchanan is a player with a vast amount of potential and he is someone that you could see potentially growing into an excellent performer for Celtic if he were to make the move to Celtic Park in the winter window.

The defender has already proved that he can handle the pressure of playing for a club the size of Derby in the Championship under the pressure of coping with all of the off-field issues the Rams have been enduring this term.

Derby will be in need of extra funds in January if they are not able to sort out a takeover of the club before the winter window comes around.

So, there is hope that Celtic could get this deal over the line, despite Wayne Rooney having been adamant that the Rams wanted to keep hold of him in the summer.

Celtic have already signed players like Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide from English clubs recently but they have so far failed to force their way into the Scottish side’s first-team on a regular basis.

Buchanan though seems to be more ready for a move to Celtic Park than they were and he would be a very strong addition to their squad.

Billy Mulley

It is no real surprise to see a side following up their interest after the summer, as Lee Buchanan is an exciting prospect with a lot of potential.

Not only does he provide an attacking threat, that could allow him to operate as a wing-back if need be, he also has the defensive competence to shine in the first third.

At Derby, he is currently playing within a side that is almost completely possession-based, and that is certainly improving him from a technical perspective.

Only Bournemouth have conceded fewer goals than Derby this season, and whilst much of the credit will go to the vastly experienced duo of Phil Jagielka and Curtis Davies, Buchanan has also played an integral role in that.

He has made a couple of mistakes this season, but he is a young player who is plying his trade within a side that do take risks with their playing style.

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