Celtic transfer options in the MLS: Scouting centre-back in the Joel Matip mould and more

Football has grown in popularity in the United States over the last decade while several top clubs in Europe have had an influx of American talents with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams playing for Champions League-level sides.

Here, we take a closer look at the MLS and offer up three players who Celtic could be well-placed to monitor...

Nicolás Acevedo (New York City)

Nationality: Uruguayan; Age: 22; Position: Defensive midfielder; Preferred foot: Right; Height: 5ft 8in; TransferMarkt Value: £2.25million

Acevedo impressed during the South American Under-20 Championships in 2019 and was rumoured to have caught the interest of some European clubs as a result. In March 2020, he made the switch from Liverpool in Uruguay to the MLS with New York City FC capturing him for around £2million. Despite him playing a sufficient amount of minutes for NYCFC, he has not really been able to assert himself as a starter for the team.

Acevedo is a defensive midfielder who likes to operate in the central areas. The heatmap above gives an indication of the zones he is involved in on the pitch. The young Uruguayan has played in the double pivot in a 4-2-3-1 for City and, although he can play on either side of the double pivot, the right is where he impacts more.

The numbers above are a good indicator of his passing ability. The 22-year old possesses good technical ability and can spread the ball well. Acevedo has a wide range of passing as he is capable of pulling off some good long balls but can also play it short. He is someone who loves to operate deeper and not move too high up the pitch while, most importantly, he is a very progressive midfielder who looks to play the ball forward at every given opportunity.

Acevedo is not necessarily someone who is good at penetrating defences - as you can see from the smart passing and key passing numbers - but he can clip the ball over defences or pass the ball into space for runners well.

On the defensive side, Acevedo is someone who is tenacious and mentally prepared to commit in duels. This tenacious nature does lead to him giving away a fair amount of fouls while he is a bit on the shorter side and isn’t really good in the air as a result. He is not remarkably quick but does well to position himself during turnovers; he isn’t caught ahead of the ball often.

To that end, he also reads the game well although his passing can be a bit casual at times. Overall, Acevedo is probably someone who Celtic could keep an eye on rather than actively pursue as he is expected to develop further this year.

Diego Palacios  (Los Angeles FC)

Nationality: Ecuadorian; Age: 22; Position: Left-back; Preferred foot: Left; Height: 5ft 7in; TransferMarkt Value: £3.15million

If Celtic are still on the lookout for a left-back who can be an immediate starter and a big positive influence on the ball then Diego Palacios of LAFC should be on their shortlist. The Ecuador international has already been capped 11 times, including in the 2021 Copa America.

Palacios’ offensive numbers are not highly explosive but he is someone who pushes up the pitch at every given opportunity when his team is in possession. In addition to that, he is very quick and pacy down the flanks.

Palacios spent a season on loan at Willem II where he attracted interest from Barcelona B. Eventually, he rejected them for a move to LAFC but he was compared to Jordi Alba at that time in terms of style and, although it isn’t a perfect match, you can see why the comparisons were made.

Palacios is really good at taking on players in the attacking third of the pitch. This is one of his strengths.

As you can observe from the first two images above, he uses his wonderful ball control and that turn of pace to quickly accelerate his way past players. In addition to that, he is also capable of intricate bits of footwork that aids him in leaving players behind - or on the floor.

Palacios is someone who stays wide generally but isn’t afraid to move inside and operate in those half-spaces. He can be a real threat with his footwork and technical ability in the left half-spaces, especially in the attacking third. He has the ability to run at players and create something out of it. His crossing is not the greatest and that is an area where he could improve. However, he puts the crosses into dangerous areas in the box which would be of huge value in teams that have players with good box movement and intelligence.

In terms of weaknesses, Palacios's lie out of possession and especially in the air. However, he is a high-volume dueller and boasts a high defensive duel win percentage. That said, he attempts sliding tackles quite often and gives away a fair amount of fouls although his pace is a big asset in recoveries.

All in all, Palacios is one of those players expected to make the step up to Europe soon and Celtic should keep tabs on him given he would likely be a cost-effective signing.

Kamal Miller (CF Montreal)

Nationality: Canadian; Age: 24; Position: Centre-back; Preferred foot: Left; Height: 6ft; TransferMarkt Value: £1.35million

Another player Celtic could keep an eye on is Kamal Miller. The 24-year-old centre-back has been a key player for the Canadian national team in the last year and a half, helping them secure a World Cup spot in the process.

Montreal plays a 3-4-3 and Miller slots into the left of the back three for them. He has also played in a back four for the Canadian national team, starting as a left-sided centre-back. He can slot in as a left-back when needed although it must be noted that he is very much a centre-back.

As the numbers above portray, Miller is extremely good on the ball. He ranks highly in terms of progressive passes attempted per 90 and is someone who goes vertical often. Although he plays as a centre-back, he essentially moves up the pitch like a full-back in possession, especially in the half-space areas as you can find in his heatmap above.

The Canada international is calm in possession and has a wide range of passing. As you can see in the image above, he is comfortable passing in between the lanes when there are spaces. He is smart enough to find those openings and explore his options. He is mostly comfortable using his stronger left foot and can go long when needed too.

The 24-year-old is smart enough to know when to pick out a pass and his decision making with regards to passing is laudable. He also has the ability to clip the balls over the top which helps runners. In the image, you can find him doing exactly the same and the runner moves into a dangerous area with the ball.

However, his best ability is his ball carrying. Miller has the technical ability to carry and progress the ball forward. His dribbling with the ball is a bit similar to Liverpool’s Joel Matip, as he can control the ball well and pass through players with ease.

The above image is a classic example of the same. He can brush off players under pressure by outmuscling them whilst carrying the ball. He does this often for Montreal and having the freedom to move forward helps him take this risk on a regular basis.

Not only does he carry the ball forward but into the penalty area. According to StatsBomb, he ranks in 90th percentile for carries into the penalty area and also progressive carry distance.