BROUGHT in this summer, Mohamed Elyounoussi has been quietly going about his business for Celtic after making the loan move from Southampton.
The winger has come in for an injured Mikey Johnston and done well for the most part. His introduction to the grotty side of Scottish football last Sunday at Livingstone ended in a 2-0 defeat for the bhoys but that experience will stand him in good stead going forward.
The player got a goal against Cluj and has looked the part when he has the ball at his feet.
It’s not everyday Celtic can bring in a player who is valued or was bought for around £16m – Southampton not knowing what to do with the Norwegian has been Celtic’s gain.
One of the men responsible for bringing the player to St Mary’s in the first place, Mark Bowen has been talking about the player’s credentials.
The former Saints assistant was at the club when Mark Hughes brought him in and he has no doubt about Moi’s ability.
“We paid a big fee to get him in at Southampton but, looking back, it was probably too soon for him in the Premier League.” he told SunSport. “Also we weren’t playing particularly well at the time and that made it even tougher for Mo to settle.
“No disrespect to Celtic but they’ll be playing in games where they dominate possession. They’ll have loads of the ball.
“So I’ve no doubts he’ll do well up there and be a real asset for Celtic.
“He was very highly rated when we signed him. He was linked with the likes of Arsenal at that time so we really pushed the boat out to get him.”
With Mikey coming back into contention after the international break it will be interesting to see how Neil Lennon manages both players game time. Mohamed is a talent but we must not forget Mikey has been on a good run of form before his injury and needs to keep developing with more first team games.
