Celtic Tracking Yves Bissouma for Midfield Rebuild

Celtic are tracking former Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma as Martin O’Neill looks for a powerful reset in the middle of the park after their Champions League collapse.

The 29-year-old is on the market as a free agent following his exit from Spurs, a status that instantly makes him one of the most intriguing options available to a club that badly needs bite and composure in midfield.

Bissouma carries years of Premier League experience and a clear identity as a player: he wins the ball, then drives with it. He breaks pressure, turns defence into attack and drags his team up the pitch. Those are exactly the qualities Celtic lacked in Austria during their dismal exit to LASK, when O’Neill’s side failed to control the game and were overrun in the centre of the pitch.

That night has sharpened the recruitment focus. Celtic need a midfielder who can impose himself. Bissouma fits the profile.

They are not alone in thinking so.

Journalist Lassana Camara reports that Celtic are “closely following” the Mali international’s situation, but they face a three-way battle. Ajax have entered the race, with the Dutch club understood to be keen on taking Bissouma to the Eredivisie, while İstanbul Başakşehir are also monitoring him and like what they see.

Camara outlines the picture clearly: Bissouma, free since leaving Tottenham, has drawn interest from several European clubs as the window ticks towards its conclusion. Ajax have reportedly signalled their intent, Başakşehir are in the frame in Turkey, and in Scotland, Celtic are watching every development.

After several seasons in the Premier League, Bissouma stands on the brink of a new challenge somewhere in Europe.

The decision now rests with the player, and with the clock running down on the window, the next few hours should reveal whether Celtic’s midfield rebuild will be built around him or move in a different direction entirely.