We are still quite some time away from January, but Celtic are already being linked with quite a few signings in the upcoming transfer window. One of the players whose name has been brought up recently is Gremio’s Fernando Henrique. Kevin Phillips has made a massive claim about the potential January move though.

Henrique does not have a lot of experience at the senior level till now but the midfielder is very highly-rated in Brazil. And it is believed that signing him would take a transfer fee of around £3.6 million.

Defensive midfield is an area that Celtic need to strengthen in though, with Ismaila Soro struggling for form and James McCarthy struggling to remain fit this season. And thus, signing someone like Henrique in the middle of the season could be smart on the part of the club.

Phillips believes though that Henrique would take some time to adjust to Scottish football if he did arrive in January and would not make an immediate impact. As reported by Football Insider, the pundit said:

“If they sign him in January it will be with a view to him having an impact the following season.

“It is always a gamble signing a 20-year-old Brazilian. For him to come to Scotland in January, culturally it will be a big shock. How cold will it be in January?

“I don’t know about the kid though. I think it would take him a while to settle but that would be understandable. It would take time to get used to the way of life and the different style of football in Scotland.”

Henrique has been linked with a January move to Celtic recently

It is safe to say that at this point of time, nothing is done regarding the Henrique move and it remains to be seen if things advance over the coming months.

It is not hard to see why the club might try to sign him. He is a young player who has shown a lot of potential. Capable of playing as a defensive midfielder and a central midfielder, he has a solid defensive side to his game and an impressive passing range, and has the ability to open up defences from deep.

It would not be a surprise though if he takes some time to adjust to his new surroundings if a January move to Celtic takes place. In fact, that would be natural and expected.

This article was originally posted here