Celtic not only managed to get their hands on the Premiership title last season, they also ended the campaign with the best defence and attack in the Scottish top flight.
In their 38 league games, the Hoops scored 92 goals in total, 12 more than their Old Firm arch-rivals in second place, while conceding just 22 times, nine fewer than their crosstown foes.
Focusing on their defensive strength, Celtic faced fewer shots on target (76) than any other team in the division.
One prominent figure in Ange Postecoglou’s squad who played a big part in seeing the Hoops end the campaign with the best defensive record in the league is midfielder Callum McGregor.
Over 33 league appearances, no other Celtic midfielder or attacker made as many interceptions (25) or won as many tackles (26) as the captain did. This shows just how impressive the homegrown stalwart is at protecting his back four and snuffing out danger from the midfield.
Bearing in mind how there are still a few weeks left until the summer transfer window closes, this period gives Postecoglou the chance to bring in a new midfield figure who could form a potentially scary partnership alongside McGregor.
One man who has been mentioned with a move to Parkhead recently and who could fit this bill is Alfa Semedo.
In his 26 league games for Vitoria Guimaraes last season, the 24-year-old – who earns £4.5k-per-week – made 29 interceptions and won 26 tackles, putting him in the top five for each statistic at the Portuguese club. This shows his defensive credentials and illustrates why he’d be a strong midfield partner for McGregor at Celtic.
Do Celtic need to sign a midfielder this summer?
Despite being a very capable defensive midfielder, he has been known to offer a useful goal threat at times. One of his eight career goals was labelled “massive” by presenter Brendan Dunlop in 2018 when Semedo’s previous club Benfica secured a 3-2 Champions League victory over AEK Athens.
Having seen Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic leave Glasgow this summer, there is certainly space in the squad for a player like Semedo to come in and become an important figure for the Scottish champions.
If a deal to sign the Portuguese midfielder is there to be negotiated, then the Hoops should definitely see what they’d be able to do to try and get the player in at Parkhead before the 2022/23 season kicks off.
AND in other news – “Told..”: Journalist drops transfer update that Celtic supporters will love
