Summary Celtic are interested in signing Xavier Mbuyamba as a defensive option for the upcoming Scottish Premiership season. Mbuyamba's impressive form at Volendam suggests he has the potential to be an excellent choice for Celtic. His arrival could potentially push out Stephen Welsh, as the club is willing to sell him if they find a replacement.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to bolster their defensive options ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign…

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

According to the Scottish Daily Mail's Stephen McGowan, Brendan Rodgers is keen on a deal to sign Volendam central defender Xavier Mbuyamba during the summer transfer window.

Sky Sports reported in May that the Hoops were keeping tabs on the Dutch colossus.

This suggests that the interest has been carried on by the Northern Irish tactician in spite of Ange Postecoglou's departure.

McGowan's report also notes that Turkish side Fenerbahce are interested in signing Israel international Liel Abada, which would be another blow to the club's wide options after Jota's permanent move to Al Ittihad.

How good is Xavier Mbuyamba?

The jury is still out on just how good the former Chelsea academy prospect is as the 6 foot 5 titan has only played one full season at senior level.

However, his debut campaign with Volendam was impressive and suggests that the potential is there for him to develop into an excellent option at the back for Celtic.

Mbuyamba's arrival at Paradise would be terrible news for current Hoops defender Stephen Welsh, as it was reported by Football Insider in May that the club would be willing to ditch him this summer if they managed to sign a replacement.

The 23-year-old enforcer has only made 14 Premiership appearances over the course of the last two seasons, as he has struggled to nail down a regular place in the side ahead of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt.

Celtic seemingly do not believe that the Scottish defender has the potential to develop into a first-choice option, given their willingness to sell him, and Mbuyamba could now come in to take his place.

The towering Dutchman would arrive with time on his side to improve as he gains more experience, given that the ex-Barcelona gem does not turn 22 until December.

He could learn from Carter-Vickers (25) and Starfelt (28) before breaking into the team in the future, as his form for Volendam last season suggests that the quality is there for him to be a superb defender for Rodgers.

Mbuyamba averaged more interceptions (1.2), tackles (2.3), and clearances (5.4) during the Eredivisie campaign than Welsh did in the Premiership, whilst no Celtic player in any position averaged more in each of those respective defensive statistics.

Therefore, the impressive youngster could make a greater impact in defence in comparison to the former Scotland U21 international, due to his ability to read the game and cut out opposition attacks more frequently.

The Volendam star's five-goal haul was also two more league goals than any Hoops centre-back managed, which suggests that he could provide Rodgers with an upgraded aerial threat from set-pieces.

At the age of 21, Mbuyamba, who was hailed as "dominant" by scout Jacek Kulig, would be able to come in as a backup option initially and be afforded the time to adjust to Scottish football before kicking on.

That is another reason why he could be a fantastic signing to replace Welsh, who could be on his way out of Parkhead if another central defender comes through the door to further restrict his potential playing time.