Speaking in a press conference earlier this week, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers revealed that the club came close to signing Declan Rice during his first stint in charge, only for injury issues to scupper the prospective move.
“I remember when I was here the first time, we spent about three months looking for Declan Rice to come in,” he said. “Declan was all set to come in and then all of a sudden they had an injury, he stayed and got in the team and the rest is history. That’s not the club’s fault – it’s just the way it goes.”
It’s tempting to wonder what might have happened if Celtic had been able to pull that deal off. Rice, of course, became the most expensive British player in Premier League history when he made a £105m switch from West Ham to Arsenal last summer, and perhaps if he’d shown similar potential at Celtic, there could have been a big payday for the Hoops.
Now, though, Celtic are going after another young defensive midfielder who’s generating plenty of hype in scouting circles.
Celtic monitor Zambrano
According to HITC, Celtic and fierce Scottish Premiership rivals Rangers “are both watching” Oscar Zambrano of Ecuadorian club LDU Quito. His performances in South America have caught the eye of the Old Firm duo, but Premier League sides in England have been alerted too.
His name has cropped up in recruitment discussions at Wolves and Brighton, while Luton Town have held talks. However, Bournemouth’s interest has apparently progressed the furthest. Indeed, the report states that the Cherries are in “pole position” to make the signing, having entered “advanced” negotiations over the 17-year-old. Celtic, will therefore have to act quickly if they’re to pull off a deal.
2023 was something of a breakout year for Zambrano, who played every minute for Ecuador at the Under-20 World Cup as they reached the last 16 before earning a senior debut for his country in November.
At club level, meanwhile, he’s earned 26 league appearances despite his relative lack of experience and has also featured in seven games as his side marched to victory in the Copa Sudamericana, South America’s equivalent of the Europa League.
Online talent spotters have expressed huge excitement over Zambrano, indicating that he could be a real coup for Celtic or whichever club ultimately sign him. Scouted Football, for instance, has gone as far as calling him “one of the best line-splitting passers” they’ve ever watched, noting that he marries this incisive play with a “tenacious off-ball presence”.
Similarly, scout Jacek Kulig lists a combination of on and off-ball strengths – “pace, passing, technique, tackling, positioning, determination, work rate” – and draws a parallel with compatriot and positional peer Moises Caicedo, the most expensive acquisition by a Premier League club. Under-23 scout Antonio Mango echoes that assessment, describing Zambrano as a Caicedo “regen” and an “unbelievable talent”. Now is the time to pounce and develop this wonderkid before selling him on for a huge profit if he continues to improve.
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