Aodhán Ó Conchobhair There was a time this summer when it looked like Sebastian Tounekti could be heading for the Celtic exit door.
In fact, I wrote an article suggesting exactly that.
The Tunisian winger had struggled to establish himself as a regular since arriving at Celtic, and with further attacking reinforcements arriving, a loan move looked like a sensible option.
Now?
Maybe Celtic should think twice.
Because Tounekti is starting to look like a player who could be about to have his breakout season.
A Statement at Tannadice
The 4-0 victory over Dundee United was another encouraging performance from Celtic, but one player in particular caught the eye.
Tounekti.
He scored Celtic’s third goal and looked dangerous throughout his time on the pitch.
It was exactly the sort of performance he needed.
Not just a goal.
A performance.
He looked confident, direct and willing to take responsibility in the final third.
That’s what supporters have been waiting to see from him.
I Was Ready to Send Him Out
I’ll hold my hands up.
At the time, it made sense.
If he wasn’t going to play regularly, sending him somewhere he could start every week would have been the best thing for his development.
But football can change incredibly quickly.
One or two strong performances can completely alter the picture.
And Tounekti now has an opportunity to do exactly that.
Consistency Is the Key
The biggest question isn’t whether Tounekti has ability.
He clearly does.
The question has always been whether he can produce it consistently.
Celtic don’t need a winger who gives them one brilliant performance every five matches.
They need someone who can make defenders uncomfortable every single week.
If Tounekti can take the Dundee United performance and build on it, suddenly the conversation changes.
He doesn’t need to score every week.
He simply needs to become reliable.
If he does that, Martin O’Neill has another serious attacking option.
And Then There’s LASK
The timing couldn’t be better.
Celtic’s Champions League play-off against LASK is now the biggest game of the season so far.
Martin O’Neill has spoken about the importance of the tie, with Celtic looking to be as prepared as possible for a huge week.
Tounekti now has a chance to put himself right into the manager’s thinking.
A strong performance against LASK would be different from doing it against Dundee United.
European football.
A Champions League play-off.
Pressure.
If he can produce there, suddenly it’s impossible to view him simply as a squad player who needs a loan.
It could be the moment his Celtic career changes.
Maybe We Were Too Quick to Write Him Off
A few weeks ago, a loan move looked like the obvious solution.
Today, I’m not so sure.
Tounekti is still young enough to develop.
He has the pace.
He has the technical ability.
And now he appears to have some confidence behind him.
The next step is consistency.
If he can follow up his Dundee United performance with another strong display against LASK, Celtic may suddenly have a completely different player on their hands.
And if that happens, perhaps the biggest transfer story involving Sebastian Tounekti this summer won’t be where he’s going on loan.
It will be how he fought his way into Martin O’Neill’s plans.
This could be his breakout season.
Now he has to prove it.
Key Takeaways
- Sebastian Tounekti seemed likely to leave Celtic but is now showing potential for a breakout season.
- His recent performance in the 4-0 win against Dundee United, where he scored and played well, has raised hopes.
- Consistency remains the key question for Tounekti; he needs to deliver steady performances to secure a place in the team.
- Celtic’s crucial Champions League play-off against LASK presents Tounekti with an opportunity to prove himself under pressure.
- With new arrivals, Tounekti could find the support he needs to thrive at Celtic.
