BRENDAN RODGERS is considering a loan bid for Stephen Welsh from Plymouth Argyle.
The English third-tier club have approached Celtic about the possibility of taking the central defender on a season-long temporary transfer, according to Sky Sports.
Rodgers is stalling on giving an answer after selling Gustaf Lagerbielke to Portuguese outfit Sporting Braga for £2million and allowing Maik Nawrocki to go on loan to Bundesliga 2 club Hannover 96.
If Welsh quits for Plymouth, it will leave the Hoops boss with only Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Liam Scales and young Dane Murray competing for the two main central rearguard roles.
ON THE BALL…Stephen Welsh in action during Celtic’s pre-season preparations.
Rodgers is known to prefer to have five players competing for the positions and the champions have been linked with a loan move for Manchester City’s 19-year-old Jahmai Simpson-Pusey.
Welsh, the former Scotland Under-21 international skipper, spent the second half of last term at KV Mechelen before returning in the summer.
The back-four operator had been used sparingly by Rodgers before his switch to Belgium. He figured on just two occasions, the last coming three days before Christmas Day in a goalless draw with Dundee United at Tannadice.
Welsh, 25, who made his debut at right-back in a 4-1 win at Hamilton Accies in February 2020, was included in the squad for the recent Como Cup games against Ajax and Al-Ahli and figured against the Saudis as a 62nd-minute substitute for Carter-Vickers.
The 25-year-old performer still has two years to run on his Hoops contract.
