Celtic should look at Adam Smith as possible Jeremie Frimpong replacement [Opinion]

It looks set to be a busy close to the January window for Celtic in terms of both incomings and outgoings.

The Hoops are reportedly closing in on a deal for long-term target Ben Davies, with the club edging towards a pre-contract agreement with the 25-year-old. Reports have also suggested Celtic may look to seal an immediate deal with Preston for the centre-back over the coming days, with Bournemouth also keen on Davies’ services.

In regards to outgoings, right-back Jeremie Frimpong appears to be on the verge of signing for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen after an £11.5m fee was agreed.

Celtic are looking to replace the 20-year-old, and we feel that the club should be considering a move for Bournemouth’s Adam Smith.

Smith is out of contract on the south coast in the summer, so he is available to discuss pre-contract terms right now; and the Hoops could look to strike an immediate deal with the Cherries for his services in a similar fashion to Davies.

The right-back, valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, has made 144 Premier League appearances during his seven-year stay with the club. He has also been a regular in the Championship this season, missing just three league fixtures in the current campaign.

Smith would bring a wealth of experience to Parkhead, and he has outperformed Frimpong defensively this season, as per WhoScored. He has averaged 1.3 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 1.2 clearances per game, superior to Frimpong’s scores of 1.2, 0.5 and 0.6 respectively.

At 29, Smith may not be the ideal replacement for Frimpong for the long-term, but a two- or three-year deal for the Englishman could prove to be a shrewd piece of business if Celtic were to consider him a worthwhile transfer target.