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Celtic reportedly set to sign Jeremy Toljan on loan but that does not solve long-term right-back issues

Jay Williams

Wed 30 January 2019 16:45, UK

Reports in Germany suggest that Celtic are closing in on the signing of Jeremy Toljan.

, Celtic are set to sign Toljan on loan from Borussia Dortmund until the end of the season.

For the entire January transfer window, Celtic have been chasing a new right-back.

Atalanta defender Timothy Castagne () and FC Porto’s Fernando Fonseca () were two targets for the Bhoys.

But now it appears that Toljan is set to arrive as Celtic’s new right-back.

However, this does not address a major problem for Brendan Rodgers; namely, Toljan is not necessarily the long-term solution.

The 24-year-old provides short-term competition for Anthony Ralston and Mikael Lustig until the season has finished.

But then, Celtic will still not yet have an answer in their quest for Lustig’s long-term successor at right-back.

Celtic needed to use this window to find their future right-back for years to come and a permanent deal for Toljan would have made sense.

But the Bhoys will only be signing the ex-Germany under-21 right-back on loan, meaning Rodgers will still be searching for a right-back in the future.

Perhaps the plan is to make this deal permanent in the summer but for now, a loan deal indicates that Celtic have still not found Lustig’s long-term replacement.