Celtic have made a move for the French right-back as a potential replacement for Alistair Johnston.
Some players like Arne Engels and Daizen Maeda were always expected to leave Celtic this summer. The latter has already completed a move to Ipswich Town. The former has agreed personal terms with West Ham United.
One who was not widely expected to head for the exit door is Alistair Johnston. In fact, a lot of fans believed that the Canadian international is the type of player who could have a seven-to eight-year run at Parkhead and establish himself as a Celtic legend.
That was before his excellent World Cup campaign with Canada, which seems to have caught the eye of clubs from the Premier League.
Everton appear to have taken notice. A £15 million move to the Merseyside club has been touted in recent days.
Celtic already working on Alistair Johnston's replacement
If Johnston leaves, Celtic would need to find a proper replacement. Julian Araujo's name is back doing the rounds of the rumour mill. But at the same time, it looks like the Hoops have made their move for a French right-back as well.
According to a report from The Deal Desks, KV Mechelen have been contacted by Celtic representatives exploring the availability of Therence Koudou in case of Johnston's departure.
The Belgian club are understood to be seeking a transfer fee around €6.5 million for the French right-back.
Who is Therence Koudou? Strengths and weaknesses
It would be safe to say that Koudou is not a household name in Scottish football. This might be the first time most Celtic fans are hearing about him.
Koudou is 21 years of age and currently plays for KV Mechelen as a right-back or as a wing-back. Last season, he scored five goals and provided two assists in the Belgian top flight.
Koudou's underlying numbers show exactly the kind of player he is. The Frenchman is in the 96th percentile for goals when compared to positional peers. He is also in the 91st percentile for expected assists. So, he contributes in both ways.
He is also in the 90th percentile for successful passes and the 87th percentile for successful crosses.
With the ball at his feet, he has qualities as well. He is in the 97th percentile for successful dribbles but he only completes 37.3% of them. So, his output is hit-and-miss. He is in the 90th percentile for fouls won.
Defensively, he is in the 97th percentile for recoveries and the 96th percentile for possession won in the final third. But his overall numbers in that department are not that good.
You can compare his overall game with someone like Jeremie Frimpong, where the focus is more on going forward than on the defensive side of things. There is little similarity with Johnston though, who has a much more well-rounded game.
