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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Graeme Young

Alfa Semedo and Vinicius compared as Celtic linked enforcers bring joy of six to vital midfield role

It won't be confused with the mammoth revamp of 12 months ago but there is vital transfer work awaiting Celtic this summer.

Ange Postecoglou isn't one for standing still and is acutely aware that quality reinforcements are necessity ahead of a return to the Champions League group stage.

It's been a strong start with standout loanee Cameron Carter-Vickers penning a long-term and hopes remain high that Jota will follow.

Left-back has been marked as a key area to improve, as Alexandro Bernabei awaits his green light from Lanus but another is defensive midfield.

Callum McGregor thrived in a deeper role last season but there's a compelling argument the skipper is at his best further up the pitch.

And landing a natural enforcer appears a shrewd move ahead of six guaranteed fixtures against the cream of European football.

Lommel star Vinicius Souza is on Celtic's radar and now Vitoria Guimares' Alfa Semedo has been linked with Parkhead.

But who would be a better fit?

Record Sport runs the numbers on the midfield pair.

Shooting

When it comes to shooting, Semedo had more efforts on goal last season (0.75 per game) compared to Vinicius (0.41)

But don't expect regular goals as the duo's expected goals stand at (0.05) with shots on target for Vinicius (0.16) and Semedo (0.28) way below the Celtic stars who will share the goals further up the pitch.

Passing

Both pride themselves on their passing accuracy with (85 per cent to 84 per cent) pass completion rates.

That is a deal breaker when playing the Postecoglou way, a high completion percentage is vital for midfielders who will see plenty of the ball.

Vinicius and Semedo (0.25 to 0.11 key passes) are unlikely to thread the needle but that's no sweat at Celtic – with the burden falling on the five players playing ahead of them.

Tackling and aerial duels

Vinicius looks to be capable of winning more aerial duels (67 per cent won per game) compared to (50 per cent) for Semedo.

While the theme continues for challenges with Vinicius coming out on top (64 per cent to 55 per cent).

In terms of ball recoveries the Brazilian had more than his counterpart with (10) per game compared to (4.7) from Semedo.

Finally Vinicius was also more likely to complete a successful dribble in a match (1.94 to 1.44 per match).

The numbers are in

Both offer encouraging signs but it's fair to say Vinicius Souza's ability to go for 90 minutes every week certainly fits Postecoglou's 'never stop' mantra.

You can see why the Brazilian has admirers in Ajax and PSV but it would be remiss to downplay Semedo's impact at Reading last season.

Celtic's recruitment team have struck gold over the past two windows – aided by Postecoglou's knack for identifying exactly what makes his side tick.

And there's plenty of encouraging signs when it comes to both Souza and Semedo.

It's set to be a fascinating summer ahead.

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