Celtic have added yet another name to their transfer wishlist this summer it seems, with Mail + reporting that exciting young defender Xavier Mbuyamba is now one of their main targets.
Who is Xavier Mbuyamba?
The 21-year-old currently plays for FC Volendam in the Netherlands, which is where the youngster is from. He began his career with MVV Maastricht's youth team setup, before being given the chance to play for their first-team. He did this at just 16-years-old – showing how highly he was thought of by the club – and made eleven league appearances for the side that campaign despite being in his teens.
His showings over six years with the club led to interest from elsewhere, and he was eventually tempted into making the switch to Barcelona. It proved to be a less successful time with the Catalan giants. Whilst he was given the opportunity to play for the La Liga outfit's reserve teams, he never got any gametime with their first-team squad. Still, even his time in the youth side for Barca wasn't as prosperous, as he managed just three outings for them.
Chelsea though were prepared to give him another chance and signed him up themselves, bringing him to Stamford Bridge in 2020. That led to more action, albeit again not in the league. Instead, he was given the chance to prove himself in both the EFL Trophy and their Premier League 2 team – and he did well, managing four goals in 28 games in the latter competition.
With Mbuyamba still struggling for first-team football though, he was allowed to leave and join Volendam in his native country at the beginning of the 2022/23 season. The 21-year-old has since thrived being put back into the first-team picture and has produced five goals and one assist in 28 starts for the side.
Are Celtic signing Xavier Mbuyamba?
Now, according to a report from Mail +, the defender could be on the move once more. That's because Celtic have now placed him "high" on their own transfer wanted list, with the Hoops eager to add more defensive reinforcements to their ranks this summer.
The Scottish Premiership side have yet to launch an official bid for the services of the youngster, but it seems Brendan Rodgers and the board have made adding another centre-back a "priority" this window – and Mbuyamba appears to be the man they want to join up with the club.
Mbuyamba has played on both the left and right positions in the centre-back role, so could slot in nicely for Celtic in that area if they did decide he was the way to go in their defender hunt. He adds an extra little bit of versatility too, as he has also been used as a right-back in the past.
The youngster has proven that when given gametime he can step up and produce the goods – and considering his age and the Hoops' longing for another defensive option, it could be a bit of shrewd business by the Scottish club if they sign him this summer transfer window.
