Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has made it abundantly clear his Premiership champions are in the hunt for signings.
The manager who never stops isn't resting easy yet with over six weeks remaining until another action-packed summer transfer window draws to close. Celtic have been active with Benjamin Siegrist and Alexandro Bernabei brought to the club. And three cherished loan stars in Jota, Daizen Maeda and Cameron Carter Vickers have had their stays turned into permanent ones.
But additional quality is being sought ahead of a return to the Champions League group stage for the first time in five years. Postecoglou has also spoken at length of his desire not to stand still. And there's set to be a freshness about a team who have watched Nir Bitton, Tom Rogic and Boli Bolingoli depart. The likes of Albian Ajeti and Christoper Jullien could also follow.
And now supporters are watching intently amid interest in homegrown Paris Saint-Germain star Edouard Michut in a potential £2.2m deal. Record Sport runs the rule over the 19-year-old who is could be destined for Parkhead.
Who is Edouard Michut?
Michut is a versatile midfielder who has experience playing in multiple roles for both club and country. He made eight appearances for Mauricio's Pochettino's star-studded team last season and his growth was also boosted by his key role in France's talent-laden U19 squad.
His development has also been helped by multiple appearances in the UEFA Youth League for PSG. While he can play in different positions, 54 per cent of his appearances over the past 12 months have been in a defined attacking midfield role. He doesn't appear a natural fit for the enforcer role Vinicius Souza was targeted for before he plumped for Espanyol.
What are his key qualities?
Michut does lots of things well but what becomes clear is his innate ability to pass precisely in all phases of the games. He thrives in keeping the game simple, at times, but is equally adept at opening up a match with longer passes and telling through balls. He was the best player on the park in consecutive Youth League wins over Brugge and Manchester City last year, completing 90 per cent of his passes over the two games, while creating six chances for others.
His natural touch is evident when you watch him but he earned a crack at the PSG first team by coupling his natural grace with a work ethic to match. In the aforementioned win over City's youths, he made six interceptions and recovered the ball on four occasions. He's never going to be France's next N'Golo Kante, however, his desire to compete marks him out as a player who could adapt to the rigours of Scottish football.
Will PSG sell?
Up until a week ago, many would have guessed no but mystery has surrounded his long-term future since multiple reports in France stated he was absent from a scheduled meeting with new PSG sporting director Luis Campos to discuss his future. Those murmurings led his agent to speak out on Michut's long-term future. His agent Philip Lamboley said: “Édouard Michut is very (much) attached to Paris Saint-Germain, Luis Campos knows the reasons for his non-arrival, I have nothing more to say."
Michut has three years remaining on his current deal at the Parc Des Princes and Sevilla were linked with a more substantial outlay than the figure mooted for Celtic to prise him away from Paris.
What has been said about him?
It's the mark of your impact when you have your manager holding his hands up for not starting you. And that was the case in January when both Michut and Xavi Simons earned glowing praise from Pochettino as he admitted the all-action pair should have been in from the off for the 1-1 draw with Lyon.
The former Tottenham boss said: "You are right, it was a mistake to start with other players. Once they were on the pitch, we had more mobility and aggressiveness on the ball."
Where would he fit at Celtic?
You would imagine he would occupy one of the roles beyond the deepest midfielder, the position Callum McGregor made his own last season. That would see him battling Matt O'Riley, Reo Hatate and David Turnbull for game time. The trio offer plenty but, perhaps, Michut's range of passing would provide something fresh in a side who dominate the ball in the vast majority of their matches. He appears an identikit player for teams who control games.
Anything else?
Yes, he was namechecked as one of the 50 best wonderkids earlier this year in GOAL's annual NXGN list It read: "Labelled ‘the new Marco Verratti’ by some inside the Paris Saint-Germain academy, Edouard Michut’s passing ability is among the best in Europe for players his age.
"The 19-year-old has begun to make an impact on the star-studded first team at Parc des Princes, too, though there are fears that an overall lack of appearances for the senior side could lead to him moving elsewhere. Barcelona and Manchester City have both attempted to sign Michut in the past, underlining how highly he is regarded by top European scouts."
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