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Celtic are one of the clubs interested in signing Kilmarnock left-back Greg Taylor this summer, according to The Daily Record.
What’s the story?
With Emilio Izaguirre’s contract expiring at the end of last season, Celtic currently have no natural back-up in the position for star player Kieran Tierney.
Jonny Hayes has played at left-back in recent months but of course has been an attacker for most of his career, while youngster Calvin Miller has played mostly in midfield out on loan at Dundee and Ayr United over the last 12 months.
The Record report that the main interest in Taylor this summer is coming from English Championship side Hull City, who have scouted him repeatedly in recent months, but that both Celtic and Rangers are also interested in the Scotland international.
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What role could he play?
From Celtic’s perspective moving for Taylor makes perfect sense.
Tierney has had some well noted fitness and injury problems as a result of playing so many matches over the last few seasons.
It’s something that has eventually required surgery and an issue that kept him out of Celtic’s most important run of games at the end of last term, potentially hampering his ability to take part in upcoming European qualifiers too, which betting sites have the Scottish champions as heavy favourites for.
Signing Taylor would not just land Celtic an excellent young player on the rise, who has just made his Scotland debut, but also allow the club to get the best out of Tierney in the biggest matches.
The Kilmarnock man would be able to come in and play mid-week league matches, games prior to European fixtures or early cup rounds, with Tierney unleashed as a fresh and healthy player on other occasions.
Even cutting the amount of minutes Tierney plays in a 60+ game Celtic season by a third would be a massive boost.
With The Record reporting that Taylor is valued at just £400,000, Celtic should go out and do the business required to tie him down.