Celtic look set to be very busy over the next few hours as they look to complete their business before the end of the summer transfer window tonight.
The Hoops are reportedly closing in on a club-record £11m deal to sign Augsburg central midfielder Arne Engels to bolster their options in the middle of the park.
Brendan Rodgers has already added Adam Idah, Viljami Sinisalo, Kasper Schmeichel, Alex Valle, and Paulo Bernardo to his group throughout the summer.
Engels may not be the only midfielder to come through the door before the deadline, however, as Celtic are looking at another talented youngster in that area of the park.
Celtic make late swoop for midfield prospect
According to Football Insider, the Scottish Premiership champions have made a last-gasp move to sign Lausanne central midfielder Alyvn Sanches on deadline day.
The report claims that the Hoops are interested in signing the Swiss youngster after an attempt to sign Mateusz Bogusz from LAFC fell through.
It states that Celtic attempted to bring the 21-year-old talent to Parkhead during the January transfer window, but he opted to remain in his home country for the rest of the season.
Football Insider adds that Lausanne value the left-footed maestro at a fee of around £4m and that the Hoops are prepared to hit that figure, which suggests that a deal is possible before the deadline.
The next Callum McGregor
At the age of 21, Sanches could come in as a long-term prospect for Celtic rather than someone to make an immediate and huge impact in the starting XI.
He could be the long-term successor to Callum McGregor's position at the base of the midfield, as the Hoops captain turned 31 this year and is a decade older than the Swiss gem. This means that the £4m-rated ace could learn from the skipper over the coming seasons before eventually, naturally, taking over from him.
Like the former Scotland international, the Lausanne star, who was hailed as "highly-rated" by journalist Charlie Gordon, offers a calming presence in possession and a combative one off the ball.
Appearances
25
35
Goals
5
2
Pass accuracy in own half
90%
94%
Key passes per game
1.1
1.4
Duels won per game
4.4
3.4
As you can see in the table above, both players are very reliable when passing the ball from deep positions inside their own half, which allows them to control the tempo of matches in a number six or eight role.
They also both created more than one chance per game on average at league level, which shows that they are also adventurous in their passing and do not always play safe, whilst offering a goal threat as well.
Sanches won more duels per game than McGregor and could develop into a midfielder with more of a bite to his game, to go along with his attributes in possession.
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Therefore, Rodgers could unearth McGregor 2.0 by bringing the Swiss maestro in before the deadline, and working with him over the coming months and years to help him fulfil his potential.