Celtic transfer scouting: The silky Manchester City teenager who's a perfect fit

Mortiz Jenz was brought in as a late signing, and while he might not be the most attractive name out there, it was shrewd from Celtic to ensure they have enough depth in the centre-back area for the season. However, it's hard to escape the feeling a left-footed centre-back would scale Celtic’s game and add another dimension to their build-up from the back.

Luke Mbete from Manchester City, a club the Hoops have an established relationship with, is a talented 18-year-old who could be a viable option and the club should keep an eye on him.

Details

Nationality: English; Age: 18; Position: Centre-back; Preferred foot: Left; Height: 6ft 1in

Mbete is part of the Manchester City youth system after being signed from Brentford in 2016. The 18-year-old left-footed defender is a well-rounded player in his position but comes with a few weaknesses, as expected for someone his age. Mbete has represented England internationally at the under-19 level but failed to make it to their European championships squad this past summer.

He is an excellent asset for any possession-based team, and you can see the areas where he is mainly involved with the ball from the heatmap above. One of his biggest strengths is in carrying the ball forward into the final third.

The youngster is quite imposing and moves with authority while carrying the ball. He is physically well-built and does not get pushed off easily by a pressing trigger when carrying the ball out from the back. His touches are reasonable, and he does not push the ball too far and cause a 50-50 opportunity for the opposition to contest for the ball. The example in the pictures above shows how calm and comfortable he is, carrying the ball into the midfield third and then using his passing ability to break lines.

Mbete’s passing ability is arguably his standout trait and this is one of the reasons why Celtic should keenly follow his progress. Because of his predominant left-footedness, he opens up his body well on that left side and can carve open different angles for passing. Whether it is the central or wide left areas of the pitch, Mbete is comfortable playing out under pressure, which is a byproduct of being in the Manchester City youth setup.

Mbete also possesses various passes in his arsenal over different ranges. While he is a huge positive when breaking the lines centrally, the youngster is good at reading the game, drawing opposition players in using his carries before launching passes into potential runners from the flanks. In addition to his ground passing, he is very much capable of going long. He can be seen clipping the ball over the top into good areas to launch attacks, and he can also go across the field with switches, although the diagonals are not a prominent part of his game to date.

Mbete played for the Manchester City senior side in the EFL Cup and the Champions League last season, earning manager Pep Guardiola’s praise. His game's passing and on-the-ball side is a significant strength with few areas of required improvement, but his defensive game has specific weaknesses.

One of his most significant weaknesses is in one-vs-one situations, especially when isolated. The above images are from Manchester City’s recent pre-season friendly game, and in that picture, you can spot how easily the opposition player beats Mbete and manages to deliver a cross. To begin with, Mbete keeps his distance but has also got his body shape all wrong, allowing the opposition player to use his pace and cut away to the byline and deliver a cross. The lousy body orientation paired with a slow reaction time is a dangerous weakness, and that is an area where Mbete needs to work on.

The above images are another example of how he gets unsettled when isolated and has to defend multiple players. PSG push the ball forward with a two-man attack on Mbete, with the PSG full-back going on the overlap. He reacts slowly and is sluggish to get his body shape right. In addition, he gets caught up in two minds on which player to focus on and commits to a ground duel. The PSG player uses his technical ability to cut away and fire in a goal. Mbete’s decision-making is another area that raises some questions, but for an 18-year-old, it would be unfair to be too harsh in that area.

Despite the glaring weaknesses in a few areas of his defensive game, he has strengths in some other defensive areas of his game. Mbete uses his physical strength well in duels and can shrug off players quite well.

Sometimes, he waits for the right moment to pounce, but if he is going up against a player who isn’t as strong as he is, he tends to push them away from goal before using his strength to outmuscle and win back possession. While his decision-making in general needs work, the above images exemplify where he gets everything perfectly right against a very technical player in Michut.

Mbete’s tackling has improved in the last two years, and he waits for the right moment now instead of being a bit reckless. He is generally good at covering the ground and has decent pace for a centre-back. It can be argued that he is aggressive at times but he isn’t someone who is a physical presence while marking and getting too tight. With that being said, he closes down players when they are facing away from goal and unsettles them, breaking the possession sequence. While he is not too tall for a centre-back, he makes up for the height advantage in aerial duels by unsettling the opposition player and putting them off balance.

All in all, Luke Mbete is a very exciting talent and one that looks destined to make it as a starter at a top team in Europe. Working under a coach like Postecoglou at senior level could be a great next step in his career, fine-tuning his weaknesses. As for Celtic, this could prove to be a shrewd signing and huge value for money in the long term should Manchester City allow him to depart.